Projects in East Africa and the Horn of Africa

Kenya

Education and employment

The Kenya Education for Employment project, to be carried out by Colleges and Institutes Canada, is receiving $19.1 million over five years from the Government of Canada to improve the technical and vocational education training system in Kenya. The project will provide youth with enhanced skills for employment, creating skilled workers required to respond to the needs of several demand-driven economic sectors in Kenya, including the agricultural sector and emerging green technologies. Investments in infrastructure for technical and vocational training will help to ensure that graduates are prepared to benefit from the related economic opportunities currently available, either as employees or as entrepreneurs.

Kenya, Tanzania, Somalia and Ethiopia

Counterterrorism

The Strengthening Counterterrorism Responses in East Africa and the Horn project will receive $420,000 over three years and will focus on four countries: Kenya, Tanzania, Somalia and Ethiopia. The project is part of a broader program of activities undertaken by the Institute of Security Studies Africa to strengthen responses to violent extremism, which is supported by a range of donors. Funding will provide counterterrorism capacity-building training for local authorities in crime-scene management, bomb-disposal techniques, investigation techniques in financial crimes, cybercrimes and kidnapping for ransom, and it will provide support for victims’ rights.

Kenya and Somalia

Radicalization prevention

Canada will contribute $600,000 over three years to prevent radicalization and support the rehabilitation of violent extremist prisoners in Kenya and Somalia, with a focus on young offenders. The program focuses on selected prisons in Kenya and Somalia and aims to rebuild trust between the offender and the community by encouraging members of the community to volunteer in prison-based training. This project will be carried out by the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime.

Women Against Violent Extremism

Funding in the amount of $100,000 over two years will go toward the Women Against Violent Extremism project, which seeks to build the capacity of women parliamentarians through the Kenyan Women Parliamentary Association to bridge gender gaps in the prevention of violent extremism. This project will be carried out by the Women in International Security organization.

Youth outreach

Canada will provide $310,000 over one year to the Countering Violent Extremism in Kenya Through Youth Outreach, Mentorship and Social Media project. The aim will be to establish alternative networks of influence and support among at-risk youth in the areas prone to radicalization. A second objective is to enhance trust between law enforcement and youth. Dialogue can contribute to better policy formulation that integrates youth and decision making. This project will be carried out by the Royal United Services Institute Nairobi.

Countering violent extremism

A project to enhance collaboration between state and non-state actors to counter violent extremism in Kwale, Taita-Taveta, Tana River and Lamu counties in Kenya will receive $150,000 over three years. This project aims to promote the coastal communities’ understanding of violent extremism measures, foster human-rights-based approaches to enhance collaboration and coordination, as well as promote information sharing with local authorities. The project will be carried out by Muslims for Human Rights.

Kenya, Somalia and Tanzania

Border and immigration management

Over the next three years, Canada will provide $800,000 in funding to the Enhancing Security Through Improved Border and Immigration Management project. Funding will be used to provide training for trainers and build capacity for immigration and law enforcement agencies in Kenya, Somalia and Tanzania.
The project will also focus on improved resilience and engagement of communities and civil society on cross-border security risks and threats between the Somalia–Kenya and Tanzania–Kenya borders, and will enhance cross-border cooperation between agencies on immigration-related risk and threat analysis. This project will be carried out by the International Organization for Migration.