Fuelling the fire: Al-Shabaab, counter-terrorism and radicalisation in Kenya

In the last decade, facing an increase in Al-Shabaab’s activities on its soil, Kenya has tightened up its counter-terrorism policy, intensifying security operations in vulnerable areas. However, Kenyan counter-terrorism measures have been criticised for overstepping legal boundaries, often degenerating into practices of indiscriminate repression against suspect communities. Adopting a social movement theory approach, this article investigates whether, and above all how, such practices may have detrimental effects, increasing radicalisation. The article shows that, by exacerbating frictions and widening socio-political divisions in the country, indiscriminate repression has increased a motivation to mobilise into terrorism among targeted groups while, at the same time, shaping conducive conditions enabling them to do so through emerging connections with Al-Shabaab. Such findings have substantial implications, highlighting the need for more targeted strategies tackling terrorism without setting in motion dynamics of violent interaction further undermining national security.