Mombasa Governor Hassan Joho has admitted a mosque closed in Mombasa by the national government was sending youth to Somalia to train with Islamist group Al Shabaab.
Joho said the problem of youth radicalisation at the Coast was real and called for concerted efforts to contain it.
"I want to tell you that in Mombasa we had a mosque, a very famous mosque," he said during the Strong Cities Summit in Washington DC, USA.
"This mosque was openly sending young boys to Somalia and probably come back and hit at us even back home. At some point the national government through the police force decided to close the mosque."
"There was closure of the mosque but unfortunately to those who understand Islam you realise when certain things are done, what happens is that you only have escalated emotions such that even those who believe or do not believe in the course will also seize the opportunity to share their anger."
He said the fight against radicalisation can only be won against if all stakeholders are brought on board.
"We needed the civil society, the community around the mosques and leaders across the board," he added.
He said he, at one point, took it upon himself to meet and offer advice to some of the youth who had returned from Somalia after being indoctrinated.
Joho rubbished the association of Al Shabaab to Islam saying when they strike, the militants do not ask for people's religion.