The Role of Factors on the Demand Side in Promoting Terrorism: a Case Study of the Coast Region of Kenya (2002-2018)

Abstract

This study sought to focus on the role of factors on the demand side in promoting terrorism, a case study of the coast region of Kenya (2002-2016). The study had the following objectives, the main objective was to establish the extent to which factors on the demand side of terrorism have contributed to the spread of terrorism in the coastal region of Kenya. The specific objectives were to establish how historical marginalization of the people of the coastal region has contributed to the spread of terrorism in the Coast Region and secondly to examine the role of the high rates of youth unemployment in spreading the terrorism agenda through the radicalization of the youths. The study relied on the relative Deprivation theory as prescribed by Robert Gurr, the theory argues that people embrace war, conflicts and acts of terrorism as a strategy of fighting against perceived injustices such as marginalization and bad governance. The study had two hypotheses it sought to test, they were, and marginalization of the citizens in the Coast Region has been the leading factor on the demand side of terrorism in the coastal area. Secondly, high rates of unemployment in the Coast Region have forced desperate youths to engage in acts of terrorism. The study targeted 60 respondents were drawn from all the 6 counties in the entire Coast Region. The study found out that majority of the counter-terrorism measures the government undertook were focusing more on factors on the supply side as opposed to factors on the demand side of terrorism. There is little attention to factors on the demand side of terrorism; secondly, the study also found out that youth unemployment, marginalization and oppressive and unresponsive regimes were the main factors which made the people of the Coast Region embrace terrorism as the measure of last resort to fight the perceived injustices. Lastly, the study established that addressing inequalities strengthening of the antiterrorism laws were the best measures that the government of Kenya can adopt and effectively sort out the terrorism mess in the Coast Region.