Parents and guardians in Homa Bay County have been urged to closely monitor the movement of their children to curb radicalization and other social vices during their prolonged stay at home.
Homa Bay County Commissioner Yatich Kipkemei said agents of violent extremism could take advantage of the prolonged closure of schools and colleges to recruit gullible youth into terrorism gangs.
“We must account for the movement of every youth if we are to succeed in eradication of radicalization because the menace has taken root in pockets of our communities”, Yatich observed.
He challenged the security stakeholders in the county to ensure radicalization was eradicated from communities and the youth moulded into upright and productive citizens.
The administrator made the remarks yesterday in a Homa Bay hotel during a workshop convened by security stakeholders to come up with an action plan to counter radicalization and violent extremism in Homa Bay County.
The administrator called for the strengthening of the nyumba kumi initiative to address any emerging security challenges including radicalization and violent extremism.
He said that the agents of radicalization and violent extremism had changed tact and were now targeting counties that were previously considered safe.
” We must appreciate that no areas or communities are immune from terrorist attacks as well as the recruitment of youth for radicalization, we must therefore come up with an action plan to counter such elements”, he said.
Yatich said the government had come up with social welfare programs like kazi mtaani to cushion the vulnerable youths from adverse economic effects of covid-19 and curb vices like radicalization, drug peddling and other ills.
Those in attendance of the workshop included County Police Commander Esther Seroney, representatives of religious organizations and the civil society.
By Davis Langat
