Driving Resilience in Kenya: Insights from the National Interfaith P/CVE Convention 2026 Dates: 9th - 10th June 2026 Location: Ufungamano House, Nairobi, Kenya

As the threat of violent extremism continues to evolve, the strategies used to combat it must adapt. This week, policymakers, religious leaders, and security actors gathered at Ufungamano House for the National Interfaith PCVE Convention 2026. Under the theme, "Strengthening Interfaith Governance for a Resilient, Inclusive, and Gender-Responsive P/CVE in Kenya," the convention set out to redefine how communities and faith-based organizations protect themselves from radicalization.

One of the standout moments of the event was the plenary session led by Dr. Hassan Kinyua Omari, which focused on translating high-level policy ambitions into tangible community trust.

Here are the key takeaways and policy reflections from the convention.

Mainstreaming P/CVE: Beyond the "Occasional Project"

Historically, Preventing and Countering Violent Extremism (P/CVE) has often been treated as an external program brought into communities by state agencies or NGOs. The convention stressed a massive paradigm shift: mainstreaming.

Mainstreaming is achieved when P/CVE ceases to be an occasional project and instead becomes a normal, daily responsibility of faith institutions. It is the daily integration of prevention, cohesion, and ethical leadership. To achieve this, faith structures must build a shared narrative architecture across three main areas:

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  The Pulpit: Delivering consistent sermons and pastoral guidance that promote non-violence.

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  The Classroom: Embedding peace education and civic ethics into local curricula.

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  The Media: Broadcasting alternative messages through local radio to counter extremist narratives.

Identifying the Gaps: Where Does Mainstreaming Fail?

Having a strong policy on paper is not enough. The major challenge lies in the weakness of translating that policy to the ground. Several critical gaps were highlighted during the convention:

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  Fragmented Coordination: Religious bodies, local actors, and state agencies frequently operate in parallel rather than as a united front.

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  Gender as an Add-On: Too often, women are only invited to the table after the primary decisions have already been made.

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  Digital Blind Spots: Online influence and radicalization move much faster than the institutional response, leaving youth vulnerable in digital spaces.

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  Low Follow-Through: Dialogues frequently end without clear, funded action plans.

A New Era of Leadership for Women and Youth

A core pillar of a resilient, gender-responsive P/CVE strategy is moving women and youth out of the "participant" category and into active leadership roles. They must shape the agenda, not just attend the forums.

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  Women of Faith Networks: These networks are essential for co-creating early-warning systems and establishing care and healing referral pathways.

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  Youth Mentorship: Young people must be trained to serve as community bridge-builders rather than being treated simply as beneficiaries of these programs. Furthermore, supporting safe online voices helps them challenge hate and stigma through digital literacy.

The 90-Day Roadmap to Action

To ensure the convention at Ufungamano House leads to real change, Dr. Omari presented a practical 90-day roadmap to transition from plenary reflections to coordinated action:

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  Days 1-30: Map existing faith structures, adopt Terms of Reference (ToRs), and confirm focal persons.

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  Days 31-60: Train leaders, establish clear reporting channels, and align peace education messages.

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  Days 61-90: Launch dialogues at the county level, refine measurement indicators, document lessons, and officially publish commitments.

Policy Recommendations for the Future

Moving forward, sustained interfaith governance requires structural commitment. The convention outlined five core recommendations to intensify community cohesion:

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   Institutionalize: Make cohesion and P/CVE a permanent, standing agenda in interfaith forums and religious councils.

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   Resource: Provide actual funding to county-level faith actors so they can implement programs, rather than just attending meetings.

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   Protect Dignity: Security responses must strictly respect religious freedoms and completely avoid casting collective suspicion on specific communities.

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   Measure Trust: Success should be measured by tracking youth engagement, dialogue follow-through, community confidence, and the effectiveness of referrals.

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   Share Learning: Replicate what works across different counties by diligently documenting stories of change.

As the convention made clear: a strong policy tells institutions what to do, but a strong interfaith culture helps communities believe they belong