From Guns to Governance

Rethinking Responses to Hybrid Security Threats Beyond the Battlefield: Global, Regional and Kenyan Perspectives

Abstract

Do governance-focused solutions supplement military activities in the successful management of hybrid security threats outside the battlefield in Kenya, as well as within international and regional approaches? The 21^st century has witnessed a paradigm shift in war strategies, where the conventional approach to warfare through the military is no longer applicable but rather asymmetrical warfare that defies borders. Almost all non-state actors have evolved to become more complex, dynamic, uncertain, and sophisticated, employing a combination of conventional, irregular, and kinetic tactics. Such hybrid types of insecurity, including terrorism, cybercrime, climate-related insecurity, organized transnational crime, and disinformation campaigns, reveal the shortcomings of solely military actions. This paper proposes that a governance-based approach, with an emphasis on institutional legitimacy, human security, socio-economic resilience, and inclusive governance, is the required path forward to supplement traditional brutal power tactics by shifting the focus away from guns, which can endanger the stability of the state, security, and sustainability. This paper examines hybrid threat factors in the global, regional, and Kenyan contexts, drawing on the Human Security Theory, through qualitative desktop research that utilizes academic articles, policy reports, and global reports. The paper confirms that the best responses to hybrid warfare are balanced, striking a balance between the use of force and governance through the capacity of the security sector, as well as the reform of governance, community involvement, and empowerment. The results highlight the role of the Human Security paradigm in diagnosing and responding to hybrid threats in Kenya, where governance failures are actively exploited.