1 Youth Radicalization in Kenya or Unemployment Crisis? - M asheti Masinjila; Collaborative Centre for Gender and Development (CCGD) Executive Summary Kenya appears ripe for consequences of a “youth bulge” (restive large unemployed youthful male population) as unemployment rate among 15-34 year olds averages 70 percent. The problem is already manifesting itself through high crime rates, inter communal conflicts over scarce resources, and radicalization among the country’s Muslim youth. The current situation may be in part because implementation of the 2008 National Accord (that ended the 2008 post -election violence) failed to consider challenges posed by “the informal manner” in which youth militia groups operate ending with no specific policy on disarmament and reintegration to preventing recurrence. The last quarter of 2014 in particular saw increased security operations in the coastal port town of Mombasa targeting youth controlled mosques. The police raids led to confiscation of “extremist” Islamic literature advocating for Jihad (holy war), Al shabab flags and light weapons such as grenades and small arms similar to those that have been used in terrorist attacks at the coast and elsewhere in Kenya. The raids were preceded by extra judicial killings of Islamic preachers designated by the state as radical and subversive- followed by what was described by Muslim youth as retaliatory attacks on Muslim preachers thought to be sympathetic to the government and Christian clergy and places of worship. It is believed that economic marginalization, youth unemployment, religious and ethnic marginalization are at the root of the radicalisation of coastal youth.However, this may not fully explain why the situation persists. It is noteworthy that despite a number of steps taken to facilitate youth engagement in income-generating activities by the current government, fullimplementation remains a challenge because of slow uptake, bureaucracy and corruption. Furthermore, by appearing to condone and organize politics and economic benefits around ethnicity, the (Kenyan) state inadvertently promotes youth radicalization in a manner that may not be fully addressed by economic policies such as creatingjob opportunities for the youth at the coast. Kenya needs a comprehensive evidence- based policy framework for youth empowerment that should go beyond peripheral job creation and entrepreneurship promotion to address root causes of youth alienation and disenchantment with the state and society. The youth need to be