IRCK Rallies Faith Leaders to Strengthen Kenya’s Fight Against Violent Extremism
By Peace Muthoka
NAIROBI, June 9, 2026 — The Inter-Religious Council of Kenya (IRCK) has intensified efforts to strengthen Kenya’s response to violent extremism by bringing together faith leaders, government institutions, civil society actors, and international partners for a two-day national convention in Nairobi.
The National Interfaith Preventing and Countering Violent Extremism (P/CVE) Convention, which opened on Thursday, seeks to deepen collaboration and strengthen interfaith governance in addressing the growing threat of radicalization while promoting inclusive peacebuilding efforts.
Speaking during the opening session, IRCK Executive Director Mr. Linus Nthigai underscored the critical role of faith leaders in preventing violent extremism, saying religious institutions remained well-positioned to build peace and counter extremist ideologies at the community level.
Nthigai noted that IRCK’s work in Kilifi, Kisumu, and Marsabit, implemented with support from the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) Kenya and Korea International Cooperation Agency (KOICA), had demonstrated that sustainable peace could only be achieved through strong partnerships among faith leaders, government agencies, and local communities.
He said experience from the three counties had shown that lasting solutions emerge when communities are empowered to work together, adding that trust, dialogue, and collaboration remained essential in addressing violent extremism.
As the discussions continue, the Convention is expected to strengthen coordination among key stakeholders while creating space for more inclusive and community-driven responses.
IRCK Head of Programmes Mr. Rolex Mwamba said one of the major expected outcomes of the meeting would be the establishment of an Interfaith and Ideological Working Group on Gender and P/CVE.
According to Mwamba, the initiative will help improve coordination and ensure the inclusion of diverse voices across gender and age groups in efforts aimed at preventing violent extremism.
At the same time, Kenya Interfaith Youth Network Chairman Mr. Ambrose Kilonzo emphasized the importance of lessons learned from grassroots engagements, saying experiences gathered from the field offered valuable insights for shaping practical and evidence-based national policies.
Kilonzo noted that understanding what works and what does not in P/CVE programming would help strengthen interventions and improve long-term impact.
The Convention, themed “Strengthening Interfaith Governance for a Resilient, Inclusive, and Gender-Responsive P/CVE in Kenya,” continues on Friday and is expected to conclude with the adoption of interfaith forums’ terms of reference and an implementation roadmap to guide future collaboration in countering violent extremism across the country.
