Political violence and terror trends: Muslims and human rights in Kenya

Abstract

Most of the political violence and terror activities in Kenya are driven by socio-political and economic grievances, which lead to the emergence of religio-political movements such as the Islamic Party of Kenya (IPK) and the Mombasa Republican Council (MRC), and terror attacks by extremist groups launched by Al-Shabaab and its affiliates. This article examines the complex drivers of political violence and terrorist activities with a specific focus on the Muslim community in Kenya. The Article seeks to challenge the dominant narrative that attributes political violence and terror to religious extremism, arguing instead that they are fundamentally rooted in socio-political economic grievances. The article further argues that the use of force by security agencies in Kenya in countering political violence and terror activities leads to human rights abuses and disproportionately targets Muslim communities, which in turn creates a grievances-based narrative citing historical injustices and marginalization. The central argument of this article is that political violence and terror in Kenya is not perpetuated by religious extremism attributed to Islam, but by a nexus of long - standing state marginalization and economic alienation. The article contends that the Kenyan security agencies’ practices and measures violate human rights, which include, inter alia, torture, illegal renditions, abductions, and extra-judicial killings. Violation of human rights by state security agencies against innocent citizens creates a grievance-based narrative that extremist groups exploit and ultimately intensify the very violence then seek to suppress. The Article employs a qualitative, case-study methodology drawing on historical and contemporary analysis. It investigates religio-political movements that include IPIC and MRC and extremist groups spearheaded by Al-Shabaab to identify patterns and nexus between state action, marginalization, and the escalation of political violence and terror. The paper concludes that in order to mitigate political violence and terror activities, there is a need for state security agencies to adapt policies of inclusion, assimilation, and redress of historical injustices, and uphold human rights and the rule of law.