Kenya has had several terrorism incidents with very serious consequences since 1975. On 1st March 1975, a bomb was planted in one of the buses of the former Overseas Transport Company (OTC) an international Bus Company in Kenya which killed 30 people. From then on Kenya has suffered a series of attacks by violent extremists with many lives and property destroyed. In all the attacks youth have been involved as the leading perpetrators and hence continue to be a big threat to the peace and stability of this country.
The government effort in addressing this issue has been quite superb and counties have been obliged to come up with a County Action Plan (CAP) on countering violent extremism. Busia Beyond Crime SHG Director has been very instrumental in developing Busia County CAP. The organization is being supported by the Freedom Fund to implement the prevention of Child Domestic worker exploitation and abuse. BBC greatly appreciates sports as a formidable tool in crime prevention and thus, has included football in the prevention strategy which is spear-headed by community policing. It is interesting to note how these youthful footballers are sensitizing and impacting the community as ambassadors of the prevention of CDW abuse and exploitation.
BBC therefore uses a multifaceted approach in addressing general crime and violent extremism. This includes reactive measures, community policing, and football. Busia County with border porosity has had quite a fair share of recruitment and radicalization of the youth by violent extremism. However, the BBC football strategy is proving valuable as an effective intervention tool in the prevention of violent extremism by injecting into the people important human values which is impacted players promote, among others, respect, and a sense of belonging. Nyumba Kumi (Neighborhood watch) on the other hand is enabling the community to build tolerance, teamwork, diversity, and inclusivity.
BBC has both short and long-term goals for football as instrumental in impacting the lives of the youth and the community at large. The short-term goal is to sensitize the community on the prevention of child domestic worker abuse and exploitation and the prevention of recruitment and radicalization by violent extremists. The long-term goal is pegged on training the youth and linking them with institutions that employ players or national and international football teams that require players. The organization has therefore employed the services of a professional coach to achieve these objectives.
The organization also works very closely with the community, the county government of Busia, the national government through the office of the County Commissioner, the police, the Director of children, and the National Counter Terrorism Centre to build youth resilience to violent extremism by building Nyumba Kumi structures in the community for ease of providing opportunities for social development.
