Duale tells Muslims to ignore curfew over Lamu attacks

A standoff looms between Muslims and the police over a dusk-to-dawn curfew in Lamu imposed after the death of seven people in a suspected Al-Shabaab attack on Saturday night.

The leader of majority in Parliament, Mr Aden Duale Sunday criticised the curfew and asked Muslims to ignore it as religious leaders and Lamu politicians gave the government 48 hours to rescind the order failure to which they would seek legal redress. However, the Inspector General of Police, Mr David Kimaiyo, yesterday maintained that the curfew order was in force.

Mr Duale said he had pleaded with Mr Kimaiyo to provide security for Muslims to enable them to pray in mosques during the last 10 days of Ramadhan.

“The last ten days of Ramadhan are very special days in the life of every Muslim; they are the most blessed days in the blessed month of Ramadhan, because it’s in the Holy month that the Quran was revealed,” he said in a statement.

More than 500 people from Lamu Island Sunday demonstrated against the curfew.

Just a day after the order, many Lamu Muslims rejected the curfew saying it would greatly affect their evening prayers. Some of them converged at Mkunguni Square where the Muslims from more than 35 mosques demanded for the revocation of the curfew.

County Commissioner Miiri Njenga said a special County Security Committee that would be convened to specifically address religious-related issues.

However, Mr Kimaiyo warned Lamu residents against ignoring the curfew without a written permit from the Lamu County police commander.

“Every person within Lamu County is directed to remain indoors in the premises at which he normally resides, or at such other premises as may be authorised during the period the curfew is in force except under and in accordance with terms and conditions of a written permit granted by the County Commander,” Mr Kimaiyo said in a statement.

Meanwhile, Muslims for Human Rights (Muhuri) official Khelef Khalifa and Haki Africa executive director Hussein Khalid opposed the curfew terming it an affront to Muslims’ freed of movement and worship.

Unconstitutional

“The curfew is unconstitutional as it violates the freedom of worship and government failure to provide security should not be used to punish people who have nothing to do with the inefficiency of security agents,” Mr Khalifa said in a statement.

He demanded for the lifting of the curfew to allow Muslims to continue with their Magharib prayers and night worshipping as part of their Ramadhan calendar.

The curfew, he said, would also adversely affect the activities of fishermen who lay their traps after dark.

Lamu West MP Shariff Athman said that the government should respect the Constitution and Muslims’ right of worship.    
He said that leaders met with security agents in the county and they had agreed that they consult Mr Kimaiyo.    

In Nairobi, Mr Duale said Muslims supported security agents in maintaining law and order and flushing out criminals in Lamu County but they “cannot interfere with the freedom of worship by the Muslims on this Holy month”.

However, Mr Kimaiyo said police had to carry on with their work.

Mr Duale, said Muslim leaders had pleaded with the police boss to impose a curfew for public and private vehicles on the Lamu-Mombasa highway but allow Muslims to access the mosques for prayers.

The curfew was imposed a day after seven people, including four policemen, were killed by gunmen who spoke Somali and Swahili. The gang sprayed a bus with bullets near Mambo Sasa forest in Witu Division.

A Land Cruiser belonging to the police that was approaching the area was also sprayed with bullets, after which six people died.

“Due to the rising insecurity in Lamu County, I do hereby issue curfew orders within Lamu County from July 20, 2014 to August 2014 from 6.30 pm to 6.30 am,” said Mr Kimaiyo’s order imposing the curfew.

He announced the ban as security agencies grappled with rising cases of insecurity in Lamu County for the last month.

Mr Duale pushed for Muslims to be allowed to continue with their prayers, saying the police should instead provide them with security.

Unacceptable

“Maintaining security in Lamu County is paramount but denying Muslim faithful there religious obligation is unacceptable,” he said. “Lamu County should be allowed to go to the Mosque for the last 10 days of Ramadhan prayers despite the curfew.”

Muslim faith, he said supersedes curfew orders.

Earlier on Sunday, Lamu County Assembly Speaker Mohamed Hashim said the curfew would adversely affect the economy of the area, as well as stop residents from adhering to Ramadhan prayers.
Mr Hashim argued that not all parts of Lamu County have been affected by the wave of insecurity and a blanket curfew was, therefore, unwarranted.

He said Lamu East constituency, which includes Lamu town, Shella and Matondoni had not been affected by the attacks.

He also said the ban would affect operations of fishermen who work at night.

Reporting by John Njagi, Mwakera Mwajefa, Galgalo Bocha and Kalume Kazungu.