A new counter-terrorism hotline will begin taking reports from the public next month, giving security agencies a dedicated channel for information about suspected radicalisation, recruitment and violent extremism as the country approaches the 2027 general election.

 

The toll-free number, 0800 900 900, was launched in Nairobi on Friday alongside an anonymous online reporting portal and a case-management system for receiving, assessing and prioritising reports.

 

The system will become operational on 15 October and will be run by the Counter Terrorism Bureau, a Directorate of Criminal Investigations unit formerly known as the Anti-Terrorism Police Unit.

 

Prime Cabinet Secretary Musalia Mudavadi, who represented President William Ruto at the launch, warned that large public gatherings and open spaces could present opportunities for attacks during the election period.

 

He also pointed to a growing cyber threat and the possibility that organised criminal groups could become involved in violent extremism.

 

“As our digital infrastructure continues to expand, so do cyber terrorism threats,” Mudavadi said.

 

He also said timely information could help prevent harm and protect lives.

 

“The growth of organised criminal gangs, including goons, calls for heightened vigilance and monitoring by communities and the security agencies,” he said.

 

The hotline is intended for terrorism-related information rather than ordinary crime or personal complaints. Reports received through the telephone line and online portal will be assessed through the central case-management system.

 

The platform was developed with support from the United Kingdom and the United States. The UK provided technical support for the hotline, online portal and related infrastructure, while the US is supporting strategic communications and public awareness. US Africa Command will support advertising and awareness and administer rewards for credible information that advances counter-terrorism or force-protection objectives.

 

The system will remain under the Counter Terrorism Bureau, which will own, manage and operate it as a national security capability.

 

The bureau was formerly the Anti-Terrorism Police Unit, established on 10 February 2003 after a series of terrorist attacks, including the 1998 US embassy bombing and the 2002 Kikambala attack. The Directorate of Criminal Investigations says the unit’s mandate includes preventing, detecting and disrupting terrorist activity, investigating terrorism cases, sharing intelligence and monitoring vital installations and public spaces.

 

The rebranding comes as the bureau continues to strengthen its investigative capacity. Fourteen ATPU officers completed a UK-sponsored senior investigators course in 2025 covering leadership and advanced terrorism investigations, according to the DCI.

 

The new reporting system gives that work a public-facing channel.

 

US Embassy Acting Deputy Chief of Mission Carla Benini said the platform would allow people to report information anonymously.

 

“Terrorist groups like al-Shabaab thrive on silence,” she said.

 

The reporting mechanism was launched days after the fifth Nairobi Caucus on protecting critical infrastructure systems and public spaces from terrorism, held on 7 and 8 September by the National Counter Terrorism Centre and the UN Office of Counter-Terrorism.

 

About 200 participants from 24 countries attended the meeting, which examined prevention, preparedness, resilience and coordinated responses to terrorist threats.

 

The launch also comes against a regional backdrop in which terrorism remains heavily concentrated in sub-Saharan Africa.

 

The Global Terrorism Index 2026 recorded 5,582 deaths from terrorism worldwide in 2025, a 28% decline from the previous year. Six of the 10 countries most affected by terrorism were in sub-Saharan Africa, which the index continues to identify as the region most affected.

 

The hotline is not intended to replace existing police reporting channels. Members of the public with information about terrorism, radicalisation, recruitment, terrorist financing or other violent extremist activity will be able to use the new system from 15 October.

 

The launch statement said reports could be made anonymously by telephone or through the online portal, with information then assessed and prioritised by the Counter Terrorism Bureau.