President Kenyatta: United we can win

The world must join hands to defeat terrorism and the twisted ideologies that make young people kill innocent civilians in the name of religion, President Uhuru Kenyatta said on Saturday.

The President said his government had stepped up efforts to rehabilitate and reintegrate people recruited into terrorism, particularly those that have returned home voluntarily, and gave an unconditional amnesty to all returnees from foreign lands.

“It is nations – united in their determination to fight for a way of life defined by a celebration of pluralism, religious freedom and free association – that will finally defeat terrorism and violent extremism,” President Kenyatta said.

He said that throughout history, Kenyans have never forgotten that they belong to different faiths and speak different tongues.

“But we have never forgotten that these differences are a gift, and an opportunity to learn from one another. Our history shows our commitment to the democratic and constitutional values that our new Constitution finally enshrined” he said.

He was speaking during the closing of a regional conference on countering violent extremism at the Kenyatta International Convention Centre, where he emphasised that the region has united militarily, politically, and in the sharing of intelligence to fight terrorism.

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During the closing ceremony, the President reminded participants that the whole world had felt the brunt of terrorism, making it even more important to pool resources, forces and ideas.

“Only yesterday (Friday) was the world reminded, yet again, of how murderous and callous these groups are and how each and every one of us is at risk. In Tunisia, 29 people in two hotels and 25 Burundi peacekeepers in Somalia were all murdered in cold blood by terrorists,” he said.

The regional conference, which began on Thursday, attracted delegates from 42 countries among them international security experts and scholars on terrorism and violent extremism, civil society groups, faith-based organisations, private sector and community leaders among others.

The conference was a follow-up of the White House Summit held in February where it was resolved that regional forums be launched as a buildup to the United Nations General Assembly in September where countering violent extremism will be one of the key topics of discussion.

“I will take the results of your deliberations into my discussions with President Barack Obama in the coming month and to the summit on countering violent extremism that will take place on the sidelines of the 70 session of the General Assembly in New York,” President Kenyatta said.

Interior Cabinet Secretary Joseph Nkaissery said the over 500 participants discussed, among other issues, the drivers of radicalisation among the youth, ways of insulating protected places from becoming breeding grounds for extremism, the roles of the private sector and non-governmental organisations and research in relation to radicalisation.

“A draft outcome document with recommendations will be released soon for action by stakeholders” Maj-Gen (rtd) Nkaissery said.

Delegates recommended that all stakeholders should be engaged in coming up with comprehensive and effective strategies to fight terrorism.