But Gadafi, if indeed you are involved in this attack, I will be mad at you and the mess you have created. How will you explain this to the youth who look up to you?
Monday Blues
I woke up one Monday and decided to check up on my friends, Achieng and Gadafi. Joylene Achieng is my best female friend, my soul sister. A journalist, she had travelled for a work project in Kirinyaga in central Kenya.
I was surprised to hear Joylene sobbing. In between sobs, she told me that she was in jail. Why? For doing her job. Some policemen had found her interviewing her sources and demanded for her work permit. She showed them a soft copy of her accreditation with the Media Council of Kenya on her phone, but they insisted on a hard copy. Dissatisfied, the police referred to her as adui, the enemy, because she was from the Luo community, the tribe that most of the opposition came from. That’s when they dragged her like a common criminal and dumped her in a cell.
I ended the call and called Gadafi. His cousin, Leilah, took the call. His own story was heart-wrenching. 25-year-old Gadafi Mwaro is Swahili. Due to circumstances beyond him, he had not been lucky enough to get a job. He was a talented painter but after five years had not had the breakthrough he hoped for.
Leilah explained that he lost his mother, Halima, that day. She had had a heart attack after the police came to her home to search it, claiming that Gadafi was a member of the terrorist group that was suspected to have planned the attack at Dusit Mall in Nairobi.
As I was processing this, my brother who works with the United Nations Development Programme informed me of a week-long training programme organised by the UNDP targeting youths. This training was to create awareness on violent extremism, its effects and how to curb the societal menace.
My Tribe
My amazing Joylene was in trouble and hurt.
“Babe, I got the gig!”
The excitement in her voice every time we speak is infectious. Joylene is tall and dark with runway model-like beauty. We call each other “Babe” and have been friends for as long as I can remember. Some people even think we are sisters, but I am Pokomo from Tana River County while she is Luo. Her parents’ original home is in Kisumu County which is best known as Lakeside.
Joylene was a skilled journalist and this was the reason international media houses like Reuters and the Nation Media Group counted among her clients. She was boisterous and charming, the life of the party.
Gadafi Mwaro on the other hand came from a typical Islamic home. His dad, Gaitano Mwaro, had three wives and he was the only son to the second one. A graduate with a B.Sc. in Architectural Studies, his creative mind had always offered sober counsel to me. I would go to him for advice whenever I could not seem to figure things out. His coastal looks made him attractive to most women.
Kelvin is my blood brother, a nerd of sorts and one of the Programme Managers at UNDP Africa. He is built like a sportsman and driven by societal change. Running a programme in Mombasa and Nairobi on prevention and countering violent extremism among youths, he is tasked with mobilising and guiding young people from marginalised and poor communities between the ages of 18 and 35 years to prevent the risk of being radicalised.
Leilah is Gadafi’s cousin and friend to our Empowered Warriors group, as we call ourselves on WhatsApp.
So, we are a group of five: Gadafi, Joylene, Leilah, Kelvin and me, Star.
Leilah is a single mother of twins, a great illustration of one who got back up after a series of heartbreaks, disappointments, and loss. She was an orphan and Halima had been the closest thing to a guardian she knew.
Leilah’s contagious optimism is such that you would never think life had handed her more than her fair share of lemons. She was confident and vivacious and could be described as a natural leader.
Gadafi’s mother, Halima’s roots lie with the Arabs of Oman. Her beauty was breath taking and even though age had taken its toll, it was still evident in her grace. She set up the Mapochopocho eating joint to explore her love of cooking. She was not a chef, but her cooking was delicious, and I could testify to that fact. Halima raised five daughters and a son: Salma, Khadija, Leilah, Sabreena and Amina were the girls. Gadafi was the last born and her only son: her treasure.
Tuesday Turns
Dear Diary, I don’t know how this week will turn out. Tomorrow is Halima’s burial. I cannot believe that she is no more. May her soul rest in peace. I will miss her beautiful personality, her constant affirmations to me whenever she came to my cybercafé... “Mama jikaze siku moja utafanikiwa” meaning “Keep working, girl. One day you will make it.” This motivated me to keep working towards my dream of owning a college. I will miss her amazing Swahili delicacies like pilau and biriani. Does this mean that Gadafi will miss his mother’s burial? It all feels unbelievable. What happened to this fellow warrior? How did he get to this point, running for his life, a suspect in a terrorist attack? How Gadafi? Where are you, my amazing friend? Did you do this? I don’t think so. Remember how we said would turn out well despite our turbulent family backgrounds and life’s struggles? I pray you are fine wherever you are. I wait to see you and hug you. I wait to talk to you. I am here for you friend...I wait. But Gadafi, if indeed you are involved in this attack, I will be mad at you and the mess you have created. How will you explain this to the youth who look up to you? Meanwhile, Joylene is still in detention. I fear she may have been violated in the hands of these tribalistic brutes. I can’t reach her on the phone anymore. I hope she can keep her cool, come out, and then we can fight the injustice. I promise, we are going to fight this. We know our rights. The courts will have us as guests and justice will be served. That video you sent me with the insane allegations and hate speech form the police officers will come to light. I promise, social media and the rest of the world will know of this injustice. I promise! Signed, Star.
I wrote this in my life journal as I sat in my single room in Changamwe ghetto within the county of Mombasa. As I sat on my bed, my feelings ran riot. After the sad news this Monday, nothing in my room is in its place. My bed is unmade, utensils unclean, laundry disorganised. I fear for my mental health. My support system is falling apart.
Wednesday’s Weeping
Halima was laid to rest that sad Wednesday after the dhuhr, the Islamic prayer at noon. Amid tears and unanswered questions, I had to grapple with securing Joylene’s release. I was to travel the following day. As I pondered on all that the week was throwing at me, all that kept ringing in my head was that Joylene was still in jail.
Thursday Trolls
Thursday morning was a mix of a rush, anxiety, meditation and exposure to the sights and sounds as I travelled to Nairobi through the Simba coach bus, an approximately 8-hour ride. 9:30 a.m. is when we began our journey to the capital city. I was travelling to ensure Joylene’s release.
As I sat through the long ride, it occurred to me that there had been multiple incidents in my own country, Kenya, that showed that extremism was on the rise. On my Samsung, I looked up the Al-Shabaab attacks in Kenya. The recorded stories were depressing.
Four masked shooters stormed the Westgate shopping centre, an upscale mall in Nairobi on Saturday, September 21, 2013. A part of the mall collapsed due to a fire that started during the siege. There were different claims about the number of people killed in that attack. At least 71 people, including sixty-two civilians, five military personnel, and four attackers. A total of 200 individuals were injured too.
In addition, more than 60 people were killed in attacks in and around Mpeketoni, Lamu County, between the 15th and 17th of June 2014. Although Al-Shabaab claimed responsibility, Kenyan President, Uhuru Kenyatta alleged that the attacks were orchestrated by local officials linked to a criminal gang network. According to correspondents, the attacks could have been motivated by ethnic or religious animosity, or retaliation for land acquisition.
Gunmen also invaded Garissa University College in Garissa, Kenya, on April 2, 2015, killing 148 people and injuring more than 79 people. Al-Shabaab, a militant group and off-shoot of Al-Qaeda, claimed responsibility. The gunmen kidnapped over 700 pupils, releasing Muslims but executing those who claimed to be Christians. When all four attackers were slain on the same day, the siege came to an end. A bounty was placed on the head of the suspected organiser after five individuals were arrested in connection with the attack.
The 2019 DusitD2 complex incident occurred on the 15th and 16th of January in Nairobi’s Westlands district, killing around 20 people.
As we approached our first stop, a passenger I had befriended, who was a lecturer at Nakuru’s Institute of Professional Security Studies (IPSS) and an activist against violent extremism and radicalisation, began outlining the impact of youth restiveness and the allure of extremism to me. In fact, he sent a copy of his well-researched findings to my email as we chatted.
Summary of the Research Paper
As a result of acts of terror, millions of people have been killed, disabled, displaced, widowed, and orphaned; extremist movements and tendencies have found refuge in the hearts and minds of the people and crucial minorities have internalised extremism as a normal way of life. The greatest impact of such societal attitude is the transformation of a tolerant, accommodating, and pluralistic society into an intolerant and exclusionist society. Communities that had previously coexisted peacefully, celebrating religious and cultural festivals together and supporting one another in times of pain and joy now live in fear and suspicion of one another. Additionally, massive migration of individuals from their homes to other locations is disrupting the fabric of society and jeopardising customary coexistence. The psychological impact of extremism is the most detrimental and typically unnoticed. People who have lived in a state of uncertainty as a result of the recurrent occurrence of terror attacks develop a fear of everything and internalise trauma. This can result in a psyche metamorphosis, mental decomposition, and a loss of trust in oneself and others. Many businesses in impacted areas have closed as a result of terror's economic impact. Consequently, poverty, unemployment, and different sorts of crime are on the rise. Extremism also has a negative influence on women's mobility, social security, and access to services. Many women are left as family heads, and a large percentage become widows. Many women have become homeless as a result of displacement, making them more vulnerable to exploitation. The psychological and social effects of losing a loved one are also felt by these ladies. Young women, on the other hand, experience increased isolation as a result of gender norms and their interaction with local environments, since their mobility in many locations is restricted, limiting their access to school and career prospects.
***
Two hours of interaction with this lecturer left me enlightened on radicalisation and hate speech and how these are part of the approaches of violent extremists in achieving their agenda.
I slept some of the way.
After a process replete with bureaucratic red tape to secure documents and bail, Joylene was freed. The sight of her brought a sigh of relief to my heart. Another mission was born.
Joylene was going to produce a story on violent extremism. She would interview victims and use YouTube videos, blog articles, and Instagram to educate not only our Empowered Warriors Youth Group in Mombasa, but the rest of the world. Her illegal detention would be the catalyst for a movement!
Meanwhile, Leilah was not only grieving her beloved cousin, she was grappling with how Gadafi could be a suspect in the Dusit Mall attack. She wondered how such a beautiful soul and perfect gentleman could be in this mess. It pained her. Lately though, there had been inexplicable absences and he had taken up with people of questionable character. Gadafi even started drinking.
“I will leave this town one day. I have been working on a project that will give me lots of money. I will become rich, marry, and build a house for my mama and sisters as well as a mansion for myself.” It was reported that Gadafi had said this. Just then, KTN News was holding an interview programme. Leilah listened keenly.
Journalist: Good afternoon, sir. Interviewee: Hello. Journalist: Today we are discussing violent extremism. What is violent extremism? Interviewee: It is promoting, tolerating, justifying, or supporting the use of violence to achieve political, intellectual, religious, social, or economic objectives. Journalist: How does radicalisation play a part in violent extremism? Interviewee: Anyone who participates in violent extremism is called an extremist, therefore violent extremists are those individuals who support or commit ideologically motivated violence to further political, social, or religious goals. Radicalisation is the process by which individuals enter into violent extremism. Journalist: We do see that the youth are at risk of being radicalised. What could be the reasons youth are at risk of being recruited? Interviewee: Unemployment, poverty, inequality, political and social exclusion are a few of the drivers that lead youth to be vulnerable and at risk of being radicalised. Journalist: Could you define what hate speech is and how it is a factor in violent extremism? Interviewee: Hate speech is defined as any kind of statement that aims to vilify, humiliate, or instigate hatred against a group or a class of people on the basis of race, religion, skin colour, sexual identity, gender identity, ethnicity, handicap, or national origin. Hate speech is a serious threat to democratic society’s cohesion, human rights protection, and the rule of law. If left neglected, it can evolve to larger scale acts of violence and war.
Friday Gigs
The Friday saw us, Joylene and I, going back to Mombasa. Leilah was pleased and quite comforted by our presence. We had a meeting with our Empowered Warriors Youth Group. This group was started by us: Joylene; Leilah; Kelvin; Gadafi and me, Star.
In conjunction with local youth groups, we planned an event which aimed to get as many youths as we could as members. Through trainings and capacity building we were on a mission to ensure that the youth understood themselves, were well balanced economically, socially, mentally and emotionally and played an impactful role in their families and society. That was our mission.
The assigned chairman was missing, but Leilah the superwoman stepped up. “Hello everyone. Still in grief, but I will rise up. We will rise up.
“As you may have all heard, Gadafi is missing. We are in contact with the Directorate of Criminal Investigations, and Human Rights Agenda. We are also trying to find out where my brother is and to find out if he truly committed what he is accused of.
“Meanwhile, we are going to have a training organised by UNDP on violent extremism. As you can see, Gadafi, my mum who are our loved ones have become victims of this menace.”
Kelvin, who was standing next to Leilah, continued.
“Ladies and gentlemen, we will fight this. This Sunday, we will organise a peaceful demonstration that will be aired on all television stations in the country. It will be dubbed – Youth Against Violent Extremism. On Monday the training will begin. I hope to see you this Sunday as we mobilise the community and our youths specifically, to attend this important training.”
Busy Saturday
Leilah woke up to meet up her Chama of Women named Habibi. The issue and agenda was not only finance. She feared for her sons. She had considered the worst-case scenario: that Gadafi may never come back. She had to make plans. She wanted better for all the boys in her community.
In her capacity building talk, Leilah discussed the role of women in preventing and countering violent extremism.
Her speech read in part: “Often, women are only perceived as victims of violent extremism. But on the contrary, they perform many roles and are at the forefront of prevention and response.
“They are in charge of civil society organisations and help communities become more resilient. Promoting women as peacemakers acknowledge their contributions to peace building and conflict prevention, as well as supports respect for everyone’s human rights in places ravaged by violent extremism.”
Meanwhile Joylene was recording clips about hate speech and how the victims had these encounters. The scenes were clear illustrations of man’s inhumanity to man.
She encountered Musa, a Rwandan who had been saved from certain death after he got a lift from truck drivers. Musa was a Tutsi, the minority group. His entire family was slaughtered between April 7 and July 15, 1994, during the Rwandan civil war. He was a refugee who had lived in Kenya for more than two decades and was hoping to obtain Kenyan citizenship. He was a 45-year-old married man who owned and operated a small café. He travelled by means of a refugee identification card.
Reagan was a poet and musician who used the arts to heal and bring hope and enlightenment to others. He sang more for societal change than any other subject. Reagan’s life purpose arose from his suffering. Reagan Rotich, a Kalenjin, and his mother had fled Nakuru during the post-election violence in 2007-2008. His father had never been seen since then.
Soul Sunday
Everyone was fired up. We all wore the same purple T-shirts. Bamba water provided refreshments. Since the April sun was blazing with anger, the Mombasa County administration supplied security and white headgear.
We walked and chanted on the streets of Mombasa Metropolitan. “Defend yourself against violent extremism!” Some of the placards stated, “Our youths are becoming disoriented; some children are being raised without parents”, “Women have been widowed; reject violent extremism”.
For about two hours, from the city landmark of the two tusks to Nyali Beach, we shouted, marched and chanted.
A humongous number of youths had gathered in unison to fight, help prevent and counter violent extremism. This made me so proud, but I wanted more champions to join the cause.
An article on the subject had been published some useful tools to preventing violent extremism. Every campaigner was given a free copy.
The article read in part:
“Know how to Curb Violent Extremism”
Fostering a rule-of-law and human-rights-based approach to PVE; strengthening the fight against corruption; improving participatory decision-making and expanding civic space at the national and local levels; providing viable socioeconomic alternatives to violence for at-risk groups; enhancing local governments’ capabilities for service delivery and security; promoting gender equality and women’s empowerment; supporting trustworthy internal intermediaries to foster communication with alienated groups and reintegration of former radicals; involving adolescents in the development of social cohesion; partnering with faith-based groups and religious leaders to combat violent extremists’ abuse of religion; collaborating with the media to promote human rights and tolerance, as well as promoting human rights, diversity, and a global citizenship culture at schools and universities.”
As I noted within me, these were practical steps we could take after the training to achieve the goal of creating change within our beloved society.
We Will Rise
The number of young people that signed up for the training the following week was the campaign’s high point. Around 250 young people from all walks of life, including the unemployed and the underprivileged, were ready to confront the threat of violent extremism and radicalisation.
According to media reports: “Preventing and Countering Violent Extremism is being led by a group of young people from Mombasa County who formed an organisation to empower young people. These Empowered Warriors are at the vanguard of promoting disengagement through a campaign called Say No to Violent Extremism.” As I sleep, my favourite song by Andra Day, We Rise Up, plays on my phone on repeat.
THE END
