Duale: Kenya, Saudi Arabia to partner in fighting terrorism

Plans are underway to formulate a structured Defence Cooperation Agreement between Kenya and Saudi Arabia.

Cabinet Secretary for Defence Aden Duale on Tuesday said that the agreement shall make it possible to have a bilateral framework.

Duale also announced that Kenya has heightened joint efforts with Saudi Arabia to fight terrorism and violent extremism.

“I affirmed Kenya's commitment to fighting terrorism that has been misconstrued to be associated with the Muslim religion and by extension, Somali Community, as a result of radicalisation among the youths,” he said.

The discussion was held when Duale hosted the Secretary General of the Islamic Military Counter Terrorism Coalition (IMCTC) Major General Mohammed Bin Saeed Al- Moghedi at the Defence Headquarters in Nairobi.

The coalition was founded in December 2015.

IMCTC has been instrumental in coordinating, unifying and supporting efforts by the 42 Member States in counterterrorism in the domains of ideology, communication as well as financing.

CS Duale further informed Major General Mohammed on Kenya's multi-agency approach to neutralise and degraded the activities of the al Shabaab militia to pacify the frequently attacked areas.

“During our engagement, I indicated to him that we in Kenya, still have a lot to learn from Saudi Arabia owing to their success in border security and counterterrorism measures,” he said.

In December 2022, the CS singled out religious hypocrisy as the root cause of extremism across the world.

As a consequence, Duale argued that “true Muslim faithful” have been stereotyped, segregated and in worst cases murdered.

“Religious hypocrisy has been the root cause of extremism that for a long time, true Muslim faithful have been stereotyped, segregated and in worse cases, killed for," he said.

The CS added those using religion to hide ulterior motives should equally be condemned.

"The men and women masking their ulterior motives in kanzus and hijabs must be called out for who they are; charlatans!" he said.