NCIC targets students in campaign against radicalisation

NCIC targets students in campaign against radicalisation

The National Cohesion and Integration Commission (NCIC) is now targeting students and pupils in a campaign aimed at countering radicalisation in Murang’a County.

Speaking during a forum consisting of school principals and teachers on Monday, NCIC Vice Chair Irene Njeri said the commission has so far visited 12 counties, adding that the move is aimed at advising the youth not to fall trap to radicalisation and terror groups.

The NCIC commissioner added that youth have in the past been used to perpetrate violence between various communities and need guidance to evade such vices.

In order to make the programme, which has been reciprocated in 1s counties in the country; the NCIC has introduced Amani Club, an initiative aimed at promoting peace.

The commissioner said that unlike old days when school children were treated as innocent, nowadays the tables have turned with the students and primary pupils being recruited to terrorist groups like Al Shabaab and other criminal gangs.

“Children as young as ten years have been used in robberies, carjacking amongst other crude activities perpetrated in our neighbourhoods,” she said.

Njeri expressed optimism that the peace clubs will enable children to also participate in activities to foster peace, cohesion and integrations in the communities and societies.

Teachers, parents and the society at large are not also left behind in fight negative ethnicity and religious extremism.

The commissioner says that the launch has come at a time when the young and tender are not spared and more so they has been the target of all manner of wrongs.

She pointed out that the country has been in panic in the recent months over reports in the media that there had been mass recruitment of school children, especially in Garissa, into Al Shabaab, with several schools reporting that there students were missing.

The commission stated that the clubs will also be introduced in all public and private primary and secondary schools across the country to promote patriotism and foster peace and cohesion.

The peace clubs, Njeri noted, will be holding peace activities and inter-schools events in order to achieve the intended purpose.

At the same time schools shall also be expected to incorporate peace lessons in their curriculum.

The commissioner is now urging parents and teachers to join in the fight against negative ethnicity and religious extremism.

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NCIC Irene Njeri NCIC Vice Chairperson Irene

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