County and national government officials have called for stronger and inclusive governance systems to build resilient communities and prevent violent extremism.

Speaking during a high-level County Executive Conference at a Mombasa hotel, Mombasa County Public Service and Administration CEC Jonathan Wephekulu said sustainable development must go beyond infrastructure and economic development.

"This conference comes at an important time when county governments are expected to address community stability, public trust and resilience,” Wephekulu said.

He said resilient communities are built on trust and responsive governance, noting that Mombasa County has several programmes designed to address the needs of its diverse population.

"Our diversity is our strength and thus the need for inclusive governance,” he said.

National Counter Terrorism Centre representative Joseph Kanyiri said the conference was part of efforts to strengthen implementation of strategies to prevent and counter violent extremism across the country.

“We are here to have an executive conference on the strategy of countering extremism. It will be rolled out to all counties,” Kanyiri said.

He said violent extremist recruitment had declined significantly but warned that young people continued to face attempts at recruitment, including through fake employment opportunities abroad.

“Recruitment has gone down drastically, but there are attempts and incidents where youth are being lured,” he said, urging parents to remain vigilant.

Kanyiri said the National County Terrorism and Extremism Strategy has so far been rolled out in 19 counties, with plans underway to extend it to all counties.

He added that the government was stepping up efforts to tackle online recruitment through public awareness, partnerships and engagement with universities.

"We are engaging universities and also training students on how to deal with online recruitment,” he said.

Kanyiri cautioned young people to be careful about their online activities, noting that digital platforms can leave permanent records.

"Our caution is that digital leaves trails and footprints, and we must be careful of what we do online,” he said.

The conference, themed “Beyond Visible Vulnerabilities: Advancing Community Stability, Resilience and Prevention through Governance Systems,” brought together county and national government officials, civil society, peacebuilding practitioners and other stakeholders to examine how governance can strengthen community stability and resilience.

The initiative seeks to integrate prevention, resilience and social cohesion into county planning, budgeting, service delivery and performance management, in line with Kenya’s National Strategy to Prevent and Counter Violent Extremism (NSPCVE) 2025–2030.