How does climate-related vulnerability influence violent extremist networks in Kenya's peripheries?

Summary

The climate crisis intensifies existing security risks and vulnerabilities that can contribute to violent radicalisation and extremism in Kenya’s peripheral regions. Depletion of already-strained resources due to the climate crisis, including freshwater, arable land, and forests, has intensified existing governance deficits and local conflicts rooted in clan and ethnic rivalries. These pressures heighten intercommunal tensions and create conditions that violent extremist networks exploit for recruitment and mobilisation by amplifying grievance-based narratives. Drawing on findings from a preliminary review conducted in six peripheral counties in Kenya, this article examines the indirect linkages between climate stress and violent extremist recruitment. The review identifies five interconnected factors through which climate risks shape vulnerability: declining livelihoods, exploitation of community grievances, climate-induced migration, escalating resource conflicts, and the pursuit of legitimacy by violent extremist networks. Further, the findings highlight that development and peacebuilding initiatives in these climate-induced marginalised areas can strengthen community resilience to disasters and reduce susceptibility to violent extremism. The findings contribute to the broader fields of peacebuilding and development in areas where the climate crisis creates milieus for violent extremist networks to thrive.

Keywords

climate vulnerability, violent extremism, Kenya, peripheries