Mombasa Governor Hassan Joho is in Australia representing Mombasa County for an annual conference focussing on fighting violent extremism.
The ODM Governor is among the leaders who were present in the 4th annual Strong Cities Global Summit (2018) in Melbourne where he gave measures his government had taken to counter the radicalisation of youth and engagement in terrorist activities.
"As part of the larger membership of the Strong Cities Global Network, Mombasa County in March this year Launched an all-inclusive County prevention and countering violent extremism that brings together all stakeholders and actors in matters countering violent extremism," he divulged.
[caption caption="Mombasa Governor Hassan Joho during the 4th annual Strong Cities Global Summit (2018) in Melbourne on 11/7/2018"]
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During a previous conference, the County head admitted that the city had in the past become an open centre of radicalization.
He stated that mosques were openly sending youth to Somalia to be trained and come back to reign terror in the coastal city and other towns in Kenya.
[caption caption="Mombasa Governor Hassan Joho during the 4th annual Strong Cities Global Summit (2018) in Melbourne on 11/7/2018"]
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Joho added that there was a time he could not enter certain mosques in the city due to the terror activities that were being planned in the religious buildings.
He explained that; "We took measures to sustain peace initiatives at the grassroots levels where we engaged with civil societies, communities around the mosque and leadership across the board.
"With the measures, we were able to recapture mosques and bring back peace in the town," he conveyed at the time.
The Strong Cities Network is the first-ever global network of mayors, policymakers and practitioners united in building social cohesion and resilience to counter violent extremism in all its forms.
"We connect cities, towns and regions around the world to share their local best practice on an international scale and collaborate at the subnational level to prevent violent extremism and the conditions in which extremism and radicalisation can take hold in communities.
[caption caption="Mombasa Governor Hassan Joho during the 4th annual Strong Cities Global Summit (2018) in Melbourne on 11/7/2018"]
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"The Strong Cities Network is made up of member cities in every major global region, each with specific lessons, practice or challenges surrounding violent extremism. We work with mayors and local political leaders and frontline practitioners spanning multiple sectors in each member city. We also work closely with civil society groups and partner organisations in many areas," reads a description on the Strong Cities website.
