Radicalisation to commit terrorism from a political socialisation perspective in Kenya and Uganda

English: Preventing and combating terrorism should start with understanding what drives an individual to resort to terrorism, taking into consideration that not all people experience the same external circumstances – not even people growing up in the same household. In order to understand radicalisation, this study asks the question to what extent political socialisation can explain the participation of individuals in terrorist organis ations in Kenya and Uganda. Is there a difference in the applicable factors between the divergent ideological frameworks of the Allied Democratic Forces and the Lord’s Resistance Army in Uganda, and al - Shabaab and the Mombasa Republican Council in Kenya? T o establish this, 285 interviews were conducted with members of these four organisations and the families of al - Shabaab members who had been killed or incarcerated, or who had disappeared in Kenya. This study found that political socialisation, starting wi th the family, peers, school, media, earlier political experiences and the terrorist group, played a distinctive role in each of these organisations. In addition to the differences, which create a distinctive profile for each organisation, the study also n oted remarkable similarities, starting with personality types, position in the family and education (or the lack thereof). With this in mind, can law enforcement and social organisations be guided to identify and reach individuals at risk? The process of a nswering this question starts with calling on governments and their security forces to understand the uniqueness of each organisation. In other words, to copy and paste counterterrorism strategies between countries is counterproductive. The only inclusive finding across organisations and between countries has to do with the manner in which countries and their security forces respond to these organisations. Strategies based on ethnic and religious profiling, mass arrests and even torture proved to be extreme ly counterproductive. On this note, the study found that both Kenya and Uganda have been unable to establish an inclusive national identity. Instead, religious and ethnic identity drives political exclusion and relative deprivation. One of the key findings of this study is that only a very small minority is driven by purely economic circumstance. A core component among individuals being radicalised relates to the fact that people lose their trust in politicians and the political system, while anger and fru stration are directed at security agencies that are presented as agents protecting the current regime at any cost. Consequently, instead of preventing and combating terrorism, these approaches ensure that people experiencing the mentioned strategies – and even their family members – are radicalised. The prevention of unconventional political participation should therefore start with creating a political landscape in which people, especially those being marginalised, can express themselves freely. Additional ly , the legitimacy of the political process can only be ensured if the political landscape is free and fair. Therefore, the legitimacy of the government, the measures security agencies implement to respond to these threats, and the potential for unconventi onal political participation are interlinked. The study also found that education is a key factor in ensuring legitimate participation in the political process and the most effective strategy to prevent relative deprivation.