Counter terrorism, Kenya, Civil Society 

Against the backdrop of terrorist attacks in 1998 and 2002, Kenya has come
under pressure from aid donors and diplomatic circles to co-operate in achieving
the political and military objectives of the War on Terror. The Kenyan
government has received legal, technical and financial support to implement
new counter-terrorism structures. However, while these have raised
concerns around human rights and the ability of people to come together
and organize on shared interests, the response of civil society in Kenya has
been muted. It is mainly human rights campaigners, lawyers, Muslim organizations
and leaders, and some politicians that have opposed proposed
anti-terrorism legislation. Even fewer groups have spoken out against the
government’s participation in a regional rendition programme in the Horn
of Africa supported by the United States. This weak response reflects the
significant ethnic and regional fragmentation that prevails in the country.
This article critically examines the impacts of counter-terrorism in Kenya
and civil society responses to these in a shifting political landscape 

19 p.; 29 cm