Musalia Mudavadi addresses the Fifth Nairobi Caucus on Protecting Critical Infrastructure Systems and Public Spaces from Terrorism in Nairobi, Kenya, on 7 September 2026. Credit: National Counter Terrorism Centre (NCTC), Kenya

NNA News - Kenya has proposed a five-point framework for strengthening the protection of critical infrastructure and public spaces against terrorism, calling for African countries to move beyond reacting to attacks towards anticipating and mitigating emerging threats.

Kenya's Prime Cabinet Secretary and Cabinet Secretary for Foreign and Diaspora Affairs, Musalia Mudavadi, outlined the proposals on Monday at the Fifth Nairobi Caucus, a two-day meeting focused on protecting critical infrastructure systems and public spaces from terrorism. Mudavadi said the framework should cover anticipation, preparedness, mitigation, response and recovery, with countries strengthening their capacity to identify risks before attacks occur. “First, we must enhance national and regional anticipation capacities to identify terrorist risks to essential systems,” Mudavadi said.

He also called for measures to harden infrastructure and public spaces against potential attacks. “Thirdly, we must adopt mitigation measures that proactively harden critical infrastructure systems and public spaces,” he said. His final proposal focused on recovery and resilience, urging countries to establish mechanisms that can restore stability following a terrorist attack or other crisis. Mudavadi asked participants to consider incorporating the five proposals into the meeting's outcome document.

The meeting comes as African countries face persistent terrorist threats, particularly in the Sahel and parts of East Africa. The Global Terrorism Index 2026, published by the Institute for Economics & Peace, says six of the 10 countries most affected by terrorism are in sub-Saharan Africa, which it describes as the global epicentre of terrorism. The index also found that terrorism remains heavily concentrated geographically. Almost 70 per cent of terrorism-related deaths in 2025 occurred in five countries: Pakistan, Burkina Faso, Nigeria, Niger and the Democratic Republic of Congo. At the same time, overall global terrorism deaths fell by 28 per cent to 5,582 in 2025.

Officials and participants arrive for the Fifth Nairobi Caucus on Protecting Critical Infrastructure Systems and Public Spaces from Terrorism in Nairobi, Kenya, on 7 September 2026. Credit: National Counter Terrorism Centre (NCTC), Kenya

For Kenya, the discussions also include strengthening public awareness and cooperation with communities. Kibiego Kigen, Director General of Kenya's National Counter Terrorism Centre, said security agencies could not address the threat alone and called on the public to play a role in identifying and reporting potential threats. “As security agencies do their bit, the public should also be aware so that the whole society across the country and Kenyans become aware of terror threats and they also give security feedback so that we can address the threat,” Kigen said.

The Nairobi Caucus is examining ways for countries to strengthen intelligence sharing and cooperation in protecting infrastructure and public spaces. The meeting is being held under the theme “Protecting Critical Infrastructure Systems and Public Spaces from Terrorism.” Mudavadi said the protection challenge extends beyond physical facilities to the systems that enable them to operate, including networks and other critical infrastructure.

The Kenyan proposals come as governments across the continent face the challenge of protecting infrastructure that supports economic activity, public services and regional connectivity while strengthening cooperation against terrorist threats.