Kenya says 85 radicalized youth surrender under amnesty offer

Kenya said Friday some 85 youth have surrendered following the amnesty it offered to radicalized youth.

Interior Ministry spokesperson Mwenda Njoka said most of the youths who surrendered had joined the Al-Qaida linked Al-Shabaab terror group in neighjbouring Somalia.

"From the time the amnesty was given up to now, we have had 85 people surrendering, and they are going rehabilitation and counseling. These are the people who had joined Al Shabaab in Somalia and they are from all parts of the country," he said.

The amnesty was offered by the government after the Garissa University attack that claimed 148 lives, mostly students. On April 24, The interior ministry extended the amnesty period for the youth to surrender.

Njoka said even though the amnesty had expired, the government was still pardoning the youth who voluntarily surrender to the authorities.

He explained that the government had put in place an elaborate comprehensive integration program to absorb those who had surrendered.

The program has a group of experts who are also offering psychological support to the youth to help them re-integrate in the society.

"The program is also meant to give them counselling and rehabilitate them. It is being done by professional counsellors with the support of security agencies and also external and friendly partners," he said.

The amnesty is among various measures the government has devised to address growing terror threats in the country.

Dozens of youth have escaped from Somalia through its porous border with Kenya and are being harboured by their relatives. They fled the country following a major onslaught mounted by Africa Union Peacekeeping Mission (AMISOM) soldiers on the insurgents. AMISOM have liberated key towns in southern Somalia. Endi