Kenya targets terror financiers in renewed war against extremism

Defence Cabinet Secretary Soipan Tuya has announced that the Kenyan government is intensifying efforts to dismantle terrorism financing networks as part of a broader strategy to combat extremism in the region.

Speaking at the launch of a four-day training on countering terrorism financing and money laundering, organized by the Islamic Military Counter Terrorism Coalition (IMCTC), Tuya said the focus has now shifted to targeting the financial backers of terrorist organizations, who remain a critical enabler of the threat.

“While we have made significant progress in disrupting terrorist networks and degrading their capabilities, one area remains a persistent and strategic enabler of terrorism: the financing mechanisms that sustain these groups,” Tuya stated.

She emphasized that terrorist financing supports recruitment, planning, logistics, and operations, and that failing to cut off these financial lifelines could undermine broader counterterrorism efforts.

Tuya also noted that internal capacity building remains a key priority for the government. She praised the IMCTC training as timely and beneficial for enhancing the preparedness of Kenyan security forces.

The training includes 22 participants drawn from the Kenya Defence Forces (KDF), National Intelligence Service (NIS), Office of the Director of Public Prosecutions (ODPP), and the Ethics and Anti-Corruption Commission (EACC).

“We look forward to hosting a similar course in August 2025 and, more importantly, the Training of Trainers (ToT) programme in December 2025, which will significantly contribute to building Kenya’s national capacity to independently conduct future training on countering terrorist financing,” Tuya said.

IMCTC Secretary General, Major General Mohammed bin Saeed Al-Moghedi, echoed Tuya’s sentiments, stressing that terrorism is a global threat that transcends borders. He emphasized that terrorism threatens security, stability, and development worldwide.

The IMCTC, he said, was established with a clear mandate to coordinate international efforts and to strengthen ideological, media, financial, and military capabilities in the fight against extremism.

The program is designed to deepen understanding of international legal frameworks and related agreements, as well as to enhance financial analysis tools and promote regional and international cooperation.

It features a series of lectures, workshops, and training sessions that address the legal frameworks for countering money laundering and terrorist financing, the sources and tools of financial crime, techniques for financial detection and analysis, and strategies for prevention, training, and awareness.

The training is part of Kenya’s larger push to strengthen institutional readiness in identifying, monitoring, and cutting off the financial resources that fuel terrorist operations.