Dialogue Initiative Seeks to Strengthen Religious Freedom, Community Security in Kenya's Coastal Border Counties

Dialogue Initiative Seeks to Strengthen Religious Freedom, Community Security in Kenya's Coastal Border Counties

Phyllis Mwema, Executive Director of the Kenya Community Support Centre (COSCE), addresses the media in Nairobi during the national dialogue on strengthening religious freedom, community policing and countering violent extremism in Garissa, Lamu and Tana River counties.

By Jeff Oyugi 

Nairobi - July 23, 2026

A two-year initiative aimed at strengthening religious freedom, improving relations between communities and security agencies, and reducing the drivers of violent extremism in Kenya's coastal and northeastern border counties has yielded significant policy and community gains, its implementers have said.

Speaking during a national dialogue that brought together government agencies, legislators, civil society organizations, religious leaders and county representatives in Nairobi, Kenya Community Support Centre (COSCE) Executive Director Phyllis Mwema said the programme had demonstrated that security and human rights can coexist when communities are actively involved in shaping solutions.

The forum marked the culmination of the Together for Religious Freedom Project, a 22-month initiative implemented by a consortium comprising Search for Common Ground, MUHURI, Kesho Alliance and COSCE. The programme focused on Garissa, Tana River and Lamu counties, areas that continue to grapple with violent extremism, communal conflicts and historical marginalization.

Mwema said the project sought to protect freedom of religion and belief, a constitutional right that has at times been overlooked in the implementation of counter-terrorism measures.

"The programme was designed to ensure that efforts to combat terrorism do not undermine the constitutional freedoms of citizens. Security interventions must respect religion, culture and the dignity of communities," she said.

She noted that COSCE works extensively in Kenya's coastal and northern regions, supporting communities to build resilience against violence while partnering with state security institutions responsible for maintaining peace and public safety.

According to Mwema, the project invested heavily in strengthening dialogue between citizens and security agencies, promoting interfaith collaboration and equipping communities to participate meaningfully in addressing security concerns.

She said religion plays a central role in the social and cultural fabric of Garissa, Tana River and Lamu, making it impossible to implement development or security programmes without engaging religious institutions and leaders.

"In many of these communities, religion shapes everyday life. Unfortunately, service providers have sometimes failed to appreciate this reality, occasionally introducing measures such as curfews that inadvertently interfere with religious practices like attending mosque," she observed.

Beyond promoting religious tolerance, Mwema said the programme also addressed practical community grievances that often fuel mistrust between citizens and the State.

One notable achievement, she said, involved engagement with the Kenya Wildlife Service (KWS) over persistent human-wildlife conflicts in Tana River County.

For years, residents have suffered attacks from elephants and crocodiles without receiving compensation despite reporting their losses.

"Communities had gone nearly eight years without any meaningful response. Through sustained engagement, KWS has now committed Sh179 million to compensate approximately 180 affected families," Mwema said, describing the development as evidence that dialogue can deliver tangible results.

The programme also partnered closely with the National Counter Terrorism Centre (NCTC) to promote rights-based approaches to preventing violent extremism.

Mwema said Garissa, Lamu and Tana River have experienced prolonged challenges related to radicalization, exclusion and youth recruitment by extremist groups, particularly Al-Shabaab.

She stressed that many residents in the affected counties are themselves victims of terrorism and should not automatically be viewed through a security lens.

"We have worked with NCTC and religious leaders to counter misinformation that extremists use to manipulate young people. Terrorist groups exploit narratives that religion is under attack to recruit vulnerable youth," she said.

She added that one of the project's major successes has been shifting public understanding of terrorism away from religious stereotypes.

"Communities increasingly appreciate that terrorism has no religion. Terrorists attack innocent people and seek to undermine democracy rather than defend any faith."

Mwema said improved cooperation between communities and security agencies has enabled local residents to report grievances early, strengthening resilience against extremist recruitment.

The programme also collaborated with the Independent Policing Oversight Authority (IPOA), the National Steering Committee on Peacebuilding and the National Cohesion and Integration Commission (NCIC) to improve accountability and rebuild public confidence in law enforcement.

She acknowledged that trust between citizens and the police remains fragile nationally but said encouraging progress had been recorded at the grassroots level.

"In many areas, women now feel safer reporting incidents, young people are engaging more openly with police officers, and local policing has become more collaborative. The challenge arises when officers receive directives from higher levels that disrupt these relationships."

With Kenya approaching another election cycle, Mwema said sustaining police accountability and community dialogue would be essential in preventing violence.

Search for Common Ground Country Director for Kenya, Somalia and Ethiopia, Judy Kimamo said the project had demonstrated that promoting religious freedom can strengthen both peacebuilding and national security.

She noted that Garissa, Lamu and Tana River were selected because of their strategic location along Kenya's border and their vulnerability to violent extremism.

"These counties face unique security challenges, but over the last 22 months we have witnessed significant shifts in policy, stronger protection of freedom of religion and belief, and closer collaboration between communities and security actors," she said.

Kimamo cited several achievements, including communities voluntarily surrendering illegal firearms, improved collaboration between women and security agencies, enhanced protection of minority religious groups in Dadaab refugee camps, and strengthened early warning systems for conflict prevention.

She also pointed to policy changes within schools that previously restricted learners from certain religious backgrounds, saying the project had encouraged more inclusive learning environments.

Communities, she added, also actively participated in reviewing proposed legislation on religious affairs by submitting memoranda and engaging government through structured consultations.

According to Kimamo, the initiative reached more than 200,000 people through community engagement and media platforms, helping broaden public awareness of religious freedom and human rights.

She expressed optimism that the lessons documented in the project's learning brief could inform similar interventions across the country.

"The experiences from these counties demonstrate that protecting religious freedom contributes directly to peace, security and social cohesion. These are lessons that can be scaled nationally," she said.

Although donor support for the project has ended, Kimamo said the gains would continue through partnerships established with government institutions, community coalitions and religious networks.

"We have not worked in isolation. The institutions we partnered with, including NCTC, IPOA, NCIC and county structures remain in place and will continue advancing this work."

She urged Kenyans not to view religious diversity as a source of division but rather as an opportunity to strengthen national unity.

"People can be divided by religion, ethnicity, age or gender. But when communities come together around shared challenges whether insecurity, wildlife conflicts or development, they discover that diversity becomes a strength rather than a weakness," Kimamo said.

Participants at the dialogue called for sustained investment in community-led peacebuilding initiatives, arguing that strengthening trust between citizens, religious leaders and state institutions remains essential to addressing violent extremism while safeguarding constitutional rights.