County Partners With Valar and US to Strengthen Community Resilience, Peace and Security

By The COAST Reporter

Email, thecoastnewspaper@gmil.com

The County Government of Lamu through the Department of Public Service Management (PSM) under the Office of the Governor, today, October 27, 2025 hosted representatives from Valar, a global organizations engaged in peace and security programming worldwide.

Governor Issa Timamy, accompanied by Ms Khadija from the Department of Public Service Management, warmly welcomed Ms Shamsia, the project lead from Valar, who paid a courtesy call to introduce a new six-month preventing and countering violent extremism (PCVE) program to be implemented in Lamu.

Valar, which is a global organization, will partner with the U.S. Government, including the U.S. Embassy in Nairobi, the U.S. Special Operations Command – Africa (SOCAFRICA), and the Kenya Defence Forces (KDF), to focus on advancing peace, stability, and inclusive development through community-driven approaches.

In the county, the organization will implement a civil–military activity in collaboration with the Civil-Military Cooperation (CIMIC) Team from KDF with the full support of the PSM Department under the Governor’s Office.

The initiative is funded by the U.S. Government and aims to strengthen community resilience, promote social cohesion, and advance peace, security, and development.

The project’s key objectives include:

Building trust and strengthening collaboration between security agencies and communities through inclusive and culturally sensitive engagement.

Enhancing community and institutional capacity to identify, detect, report, prevent, and respond to extremist threats and misinformation.

Supporting community-driven activities that promote livelihoods and economic empowerment while addressing vulnerabilities linked to insecurity and violent extremism.

Speaking during the courtesy call, the governor expressed deep appreciation for Valar’s partnership and reaffirmed his government’s commitment to working with national and international partners to ensure a peaceful and resilient there.

“This initiative comes at a timely moment as Lamu continues to strengthen its peace and security structures. We appreciate Valar’s support and assure our full collaboration through the Department of Public Service Management,” he said.

Ms Shamsia, the Valar Project Lead, praised the warm reception by the county and emphasized the importance of collaboration with local communities, government departments, and security agencies in achieving lasting peace.

Ms Khadija, representing the Department of Public Service Management, reiterated their readiness to coordinate and support the implementation of the project in alignment with the Governor’s vision of peace-driven development.