Partnerships advance freedom of religion and peace in Kenya

Religious tensions, violent extremism and mistrust between communities and security agencies continue to threaten peaceful coexistence in parts of Kenya.

To address these challenges, government institutions, faith leaders and civil society organizations have spent the past two years working together to strengthen freedom of religion and belief while promoting dialogue, inclusion and community-led peacebuilding.

As the initiative comes to a close, stakeholders gathered in Nairobi to reflect on the progress made through the Together for Freedom of Religion and Belief (TOFORB) Project and discuss how its achievements can be sustained beyond the programme.

The two-year initiative, implemented by a consortium comprising Search for Common Ground, Muslims for Human Rights (MUHURI), Kenya Community Support Centre (KECOSCE), and Kesho Alliance with support from the U.S. State Department, brought together communities, security agencies, religious leaders and policymakers to strengthen constitutional freedoms while addressing violent extremism, discrimination and social divisions.

Building Community Partnerships for Peace

Walid Kassim Said, Executive Director of Muslims for Human Rights (MUHURI), said the event was an opportunity to celebrate communities, partnerships and interventions that had prevented conflict while strengthening human rights protections.

He noted that despite temporary disruptions caused by the suspension of U.S.-funded programmes earlier in the year, the consortium resumed implementation because of the project’s significance to communities.

“We are celebrating communities, celebrating voices and celebrating the partnerships we have built across the country. We are also appreciating the systems we have established for early warning and early response, which have strengthened our ability to prevent conflict before it escalates,” said Kassim.

According to Kassim, the project generated more than 616 early warning and early response reports, with about 90 percent of them acted upon by relevant government agencies.

The reports covered issues including violent extremism, incitement, insecurity and community tensions.

He said the project also amplified community voices in national policymaking and created stronger collaboration between civil society organizations, government institutions and local leaders.

With Kenya expected to head into another election cycle next year, Kassim empasized the need to sustain the structures created under the project.

“Religion remains one of the strongest identities in society and can easily be manipulated to create division. The systems, partnerships and community initiatives we have established should help counter radicalization, hate speech and political incitement while promoting peaceful coexistence,” said Kassim.

He added that the close-out forum was not only a celebration of achievements but also an opportunity to deliberate on remaining challenges and agree on how to sustain the project’s gains beyond donor funding.

Strengthening Trust Between Communities and State Institutions

Phyllis Muema, Executive Director of the Kenya Community Support Centre (KECOSCE), said the project had strengthened collaboration between citizens and state institutions while ensuring that security interventions respect constitutional rights and religious freedoms.

She explained that the programme worked with communities in Garissa, Lamu and Tana River counties to build resilience against violent extremism, strengthen interfaith dialogue and improve relationships between citizens and security agencies.

“The Constitution guarantees freedom of religion and belief, but in many instances we have seen that freedom overlooked, particularly when responding to counterterrorism and security concerns. Our work has focused on ensuring security and human rights go hand in hand,” said Muema.

Muema said one of the programme’s major achievements was facilitating engagement between communities and government institutions to resolve longstanding grievances.

She cited Tana River County, where discussions involving the Kenya Wildlife Service (KWS) helped unlock KSh179 million in compensation for about 180 families affected by human-wildlife conflict after years without redress.

She also highlighted engagement with the National Counter Terrorism Centre (NCTC), saying the project helped shift perceptions by demonstrating that terrorism has no religion.

“Terrorists exploit religion to divide communities, yet no religion supports terrorism. Through dialogue with religious leaders and security agencies, communities now understand they are partners in preventing violent extremism rather than suspects because of their faith,” said Muema.

The programme also worked with the Independent Policing Oversight Authority (IPOA), the National Cohesion and Integration Commission (NCIC) and the National Steering Committee on Peacebuilding and Conflict Management to strengthen trust between communities and law enforcement agencies.

Muema said local policing relationships had improved significantly, with women and young people increasingly feeling confident to report security concerns and engage police officers through dialogue.

Another significant achievement, she said, was addressing discrimination in schools where some learners had experienced restrictions based on their religious beliefs or mode of dressing.

Working with educational institutions, religious leaders and the Ministry of Interior, the programme contributed to directives that reinforce respect for learners’ religious rights in schools.

Muema said sustained dialogue between Christian and Muslim leaders had also helped dispel misconceptions that previously fuelled mistrust between the two faiths.

“When people are given safe spaces to talk honestly, they discover they have far more in common than what divides them. We have seen faith leaders working together, protecting each other’s worship spaces and promoting peace within their communities,” said Muema.

Sustaining the Gains Beyond the Project

Search for Common Ground Country Director Judy Kimamo said the project had demonstrated that bringing together government institutions, civil society organizations, faith leaders and communities can strengthen both security and the protection of human rights.

Working in Garissa, Lamu and Tana River over the past 22 months, she said the initiative had contributed to policy reforms, stronger collaboration between communities and security agencies, and greater protection of freedom of religion and belief.

Kimamo said communities had become active partners in addressing insecurity through strengthened early warning and early response mechanisms, enabling local actors to identify emerging threats and coordinate timely interventions before violence escalated.

“We have seen communities working closely with security agencies, women and youth participating in peacebuilding, schools changing policies to become more inclusive and communities contributing to national discussions on legislation affecting religious freedom,” said Kimamo.

She said the project also created opportunities for communities to engage in policy discussions, including discussions around the proposed Religious Organisations Bill.

Through dialogue forums, citizens were able to present their views and recommendations to government, helping ensure community voices informed national decision-making.

Kimamo said the initiative reached more than 2,003 people through media platforms and public awareness campaigns while documenting lessons that can guide similar peacebuilding initiatives across the country.

She noted that women, youth, faith leaders and community coalitions had become central to preventing conflict and strengthening peaceful coexistence in Garissa, Lamu and Tana River counties.

Although the donor-funded phase has come to an end, Kimamo said the structures established through the programme including partnerships with the National Counter Terrorism Centre (NCTC), the Independent Policing Oversight Authority (IPOA), the National Cohesion and Integration Commission (NCIC) and other government agencies would continue supporting communities.

She expressed confidence that the partnerships and systems built over the past two years would enable communities to continue addressing shared challenges through dialogue, collaboration and respect for human rights.

“Our diversity should never become a source of division. Whether the differences are religion, ethnicity, age or gender, when communities come together around shared challenges, they create lasting solutions. That is the foundation of sustainable peacebuilding,” said Kimamo.