Terrorism is a tool employed by militant groups whose ideology compels them to try and reshape the political, territorial and even constitutional underpinning of states, and to destroy the present rules-based global order. In the last two decades, over a thousand Kenyans have lost their lives to terrorist attacks by Al-Qaeda and its Somalia-based affiliate Al- Shabab.

Our response, as a state, and as a nation, to this threat is a leading national security interest. Within the state, the response has focused on the operational demands to prevent, detect, deter and disrupt terrorism acts; work that is carried out in coordinated multi-agency fashion.

The NCTC has led in designing and deploying a prevention of terrorism framework that leverages state and civil society responses outside the military and criminal justice arenas. This preventive agenda is broadly speaking carried out under the Countering Violent Extremism Conducive to Terrorism framework.

The National Counter Terrorism Centre is proud to contribute to the defense of the unity, independence, sovereignty and territorial integrity of Kenya against all terrorist groups and militant or criminal actors who employ terrorism. Our credo is taken from the national anthem, and in urging all Kenyans ‘Tuwe Tayari Kuilinda’, recognizes the enduring need for a truly national response to this dangerous transnational threat.