Religious leaders in Busia County have been urged to work with authorities to prevent and counter acts of terrorism.
Speaking during a sensitization forum for interfaith in Busia town on Tuesday The head of terrorism prevention and Resilience unit Njenga Miiri said that terrorists thrive on ignorance among communities.
“We are brothers and sisters in faith irrespective of which denomination you belong,” he said, adding that both Christians and Muslims had a role to play for the common good of their security in the society.
Miiri added that terrorists will always want to look for weak links where there were disconnects and where the social fabrics of the society were broken saying that the two main religions had many commonalities.
‘In Kenya, the kind of terrorists we are fighting is al Shabaab and this is an affiliate of Al Qaeda which distorts Islamic teachings,’ he explained.
He urged the leaders to unite, adding that the two religions have a common enemy.
The official pointed out that religious leaders are the army of preventing terrorism hence the need to strengthen their capacity.
“We counter the strategies and ideologies of terrorists by having more sensitization forums,’ he said.
Miiri further noted that only four counties have suffered terrorist attacks for the past four years adding that the government has registered some progress in preventing terrorism.
‘As a country, this approach is working for us,’ he said, adding that Kenyans are becoming difficult for terrorists to access by reporting suspicious activities to the relevant authorities.
He stated that plans are underway to train more religious leaders so that they become trainers of trainers on matters terrorism.
Busia Acting County Commissioner Kipchumba Ruto said that the interfaith in the area has played a crucial role in ensuring peace before, during and after last year’s general election.
Ruto stated that the County has had a few of its residents engage in terrorist attacks.
He urged the leaders to report suspected activities and characters to the relevant security agencies.
The forum brought together both Islamic and Christian leaders from the seven Sub Counties within Busia County.
By Salome Alwanda
