6 Issues Raised By Coast Residents During Inaugural Jukwaa La Usalama Forums

The government has concluded its inaugural Jukwaa la Usalama forums, which kicked off on April 8, 2025, in Mombasa, targeting the coastal region.

The Pwani Edition brought together diverse stakeholders from the coastal counties to raise issues, propose solutions, and receive direct feedback from the government.

Jukwaa la Usalama, developed under the Ministry of Interior and National Administration, serves as a national platform for structured dialogue between citizens and the government on matters of security and public safety. It places emphasis on participation, mutual accountability, and long-term reform.

According to the government, security governance must now move beyond enforcement to embrace citizen participation through engagement, dialogue, and people-centred reforms.

In the initial forums led by Interior Cabinet Secretary Kipchumba Murkomen and his PS Dr Raymond Omollow, Coastarians raised at least six issues that the government should address.

Among the issues include;

• Violent extremism and youth radicalization
• Drug and substance abuse
• Land disputes and tenure insecurity
• Gender-based violence
• Youth unemployment
• Infrastructure and security response gaps

In resposnse, the government promised community-centric counter-radicalization programs, creation of Coast Region Anti-Narcotics Task Force, formation of a Special Land Dispute Resolution Taskforce, expansion of GBV response mechanisms, establishment of Youth Safety and Innovation Hubs and infrastructure upgrades and police mobility enhancements

The initiative will also focus on monthly reporting templates for chiefs to track public sentiment, regular coordination meetings between County Commissioners and local security committees, short training modules for NGAO officers on civic engagement and trauma- informed response and National Police Service operational reviews for improved complaint resolution and responsiveness.

Community empowerment measures that the government seeks to employ include establishment of local safety councils, integration of women and youth voices in security governance, civic education sessions on rights and public engagement and partnerships with faith-based and cultural institutions for peacebuilding.

The government says Jukwaa la Usalama, henceforth, will be a permanent feature of governance. Already, the Ministry is developing a National Community Engagement Policy to guide structured citizen participation, grievance redress, and feedback mechanisms across all levels of security administration.

Jukwaa la Usalama offers communities a formal platform to voice concerns, share experiences, and suggest solutions directly to security and administrative officials. It emphasises participation, mutual accountability, and long-term reform.

Read: Jukwaa la Usalama: Inside Govt’s Security Initiative Deepening Public Trust Via Dialogue

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