Factors influencing youth recruitment into al-shabaab: a case study of lamu county- kenya (2011-2016)

Abstract

The aim of the study was to analyze the factors that influence the youth into joining al-shabaab in lamu county from 2011 to 2016. This period was critical since it was characterized by more youth joining the al-shabaab. The group targeted lamu county as a vulnerable area from where they could easily recruit and radicalize youth. The research sought to answer the following questions: does unemployment influence recruitment of youth into al-shabaab? What are factors influencing recruitment of youth into al-shabaab? Does poverty influence youth recruitment into al-shabaab. The study employed relative deprivation theory to assess why youth within lamu county join al-shabaab and the researcher came up with the following hypotheses; uemployment has positive correlation with recruitment of youth in al-shabaab, while second hypothesis was poverty has direct relationship with recruitment of youth to al-shabaab. The study employed evaluative research design which allowed use of questionnaires, participant observation and unstructured interviews which targeted population of 97 respondents and further used total population sampling. From the survey the youth recruitment from lamu county is real with majority falling in the trap laid by al-shabaab. The al-shabaab thrive from existing problems affecting the youth by offering alternatives and they end up getting a number of youth in return. The study concludes that the counterterrorism response involving the military and other security agencies is necessary, but requires to be reinforced by quick impact projects to deal with economic and social well-being of the youth and communities who live in the county. The study further recommends that the government should initiate empowerment programs so that the al-shabaab‟s ideologies do not attract the youth. The programs should include but not limited to kazi kwa vijana1 programs to be implemented in lamu to empower the youth to afford basic needs and provide them with employment opportunities. The media coverage should be enhanced to provide an avenue for community awareness about the effects of al-shabaab since currently only pay channels are available and thus not all local citizens get information freely. The government should build adequate schools and employ enough teachers to ensure that children get the best education that prepares them for future. The government should employ the youth from all communities as police reserve to create a buffer zone within boni forest which extends from kenya to somalia and has been used by al-shabaab as safe haven. The locals should be incorporated as the main source of intelligence and rewarded with tokens to motivate their intelligence collection efforts.