Community Engagement in Counter Terrorism Measures and National Security in Garissa County, Kenya

Abstract

This study assessed the effectiveness of community engagement in promoting national security analyzed the influence of intelligence-sharing mechanisms on the effectiveness of counter-terrorism efforts in Garissa County in Kenya. This study was guided by two theories namely; Deterrence and Human security theories. This study adopted an exploratory research design. The study targeted participants who included Kenya Defence Forces (KDF) personnel and National Police Service (NPS) officers and Directorate of Criminal Investigations (DCI) staff members together with county officials and religious leaders and civil society members and residents who lived in terrorism-affected areas. This study employed stratified purposive sampling technique to identify the various categories of respondents. A total of 65 study participants were selected for field interviews. The research instrument used were interview guides, structured questionnaires and documentary analysis. Qualitative data from interviews and open-ended questions underwent thematic content analysis and was presented narratively to provide detailed perspectives from security personnel. The study observed that community engagement through public meetings, policing initiatives, and awareness programs was found to empower residents in detecting terrorist threats.The study found that intelligence-sharing mechanisms improved coordination, threat detection, situational awareness, and public trust thereby enhancing overall counter-terrorism effectiveness. The study recommended the need to promote sustainable community engagement for security resilience to contain terrorist attacks in Garissa County.