One killed in protests over sheikh

A protest to demand the release of a detained foreign preacher on Friday left one person dead.

Muslim leaders claimed four people died.

Scores of others suffered injuries when the demonstration turned violent in the streets of Nairobi. The demonstrators were demanding the release of radical Jamaican preacher Abdulla al-Faisal.

Police watched

What started out as a clash between riot police and Muslim youths outside Jamia mosque, ended up being a fight between the Muslims and other groups who confronted the demonstrators, as police looked on.

In Mombasa, angry Muslim leaders led another protest over continued incarceration of the cleric, and called for resignation of Immigration minister Otieno Kajwang’.

Among the injured in Nairobi was a General Service Unit officer who was allegedly shot on the shoulder by protesters, who are said to have had two pistols.

The government has in the past week attempted to deport Mr al-Faisal, who was stripped of his British citizenship after serving a jail term for his links to terrorist groups.

He was subsequently deported to his home country of Jamaica, where he is banned from preaching.

He was arrested while leaving a Mombasa mosque, after he sneaked into the country from Tanzania through Lunga Lunga border post.

Deportation

Government efforts to deport him have failed because no country wants him to set foot on their territory, denying him transit visas, and yet there are no direct flights from Kenya to Jamaica.

From 2pm, downtown Nairobi was turned into a battle field pitting Muslim faithful and police, who had banned the demonstration.

The faithful, mainly youths, attempted to march to force the government to release al-Faisal who is in custody awaiting deportation.

Muslim human rights activists have since obtained a court order compelling the government to produce the preacher in court on Thursday next week.

Earlier, the government said the controversial preacher had been linked to several suicide bombings.

Government spokesman Alfred Mutua said al-Faisal was a threat to Kenya because of his alleged tendencies to recruit suicide bombers.

After issuing his statement, Dr Mutua went to Jamia mosque in the hope of calming the angry faithful but he was whisked out of sight under a hail of stones.

The protesters, chanting “Allahu Akbar” (God is great) and some holding aloft the flag of Somali Islamist militia group al-Shabaab, were blocked by police with dogs, as they tried to march through the heart of Nairobi after prayers.

A handful of riot police that sought to disperse them was forced to retreat when the protesters hurled back tear gas canisters thrown at them, and stones.

The retreat of police ushered in a stone-throwing duel between the protesters and other wananchi, who expressed anger at disruption of their businesses.

A dozen cars and buildings were destroyed as the street battles raged on into the night on the busy Biashara, Muindi Mbingu, Market and Kigali streets.

Having been overpowered by the demonstrators, riot police made up of Administration Police, GSU and their regular counterparts, took a break and became spectators, occasionally stepping in with tear gas canisters.

“These people (protesters) are armed. They have shot and injured one officer,” said a policeman.

But speaking at Parliament buildings yesterday, four Muslim MPs accused police of using excessive force to quell the protests.

Led by Mandera East MP Adan Keynan, the MPs said the faithful were to hold a peaceful demo after the afternoon prayers.

Similarly, Supreme Council of Kenyan Muslims (Supkem) secretary general, Adan Wachu, said police used excessive police force.

CIPK chairman Sheikh Mohammed Idris accused the government of being oppressive and violating Sheikh al-Faisal’s rights, saying he deserved to be given a 24 hour-notice to leave the country instead of being thrown behind bars.

He said the faithful should have been allowed to express their demands on the controversy surrounding the cleric.

“I fear that this kind of thing (violent response) will lead to more problems,” he said, adding that the casualty toll could be higher.

In Mombasa, CIPK’s Sheikh Mohammed Khalifa said the Immigration minister had failed his ministerial duties and claimed that he was incapable of handling such a crucial docket.

Kenyatta National Hospital received seven injured people, one with a bullet in his thigh, said Mr Simion Ithae, the institution’s public relations officer.

Of the seven taken to KNH, three had bullet wounds, said Mr Ithae, describing the condition of six of them as stable and that they would be discharged later (Friday evening).

“He was brought in dead,” he said in response to earlier reports that a victim had succumbed to bullet injuries at the hospital.

Mr Wachu said his organisation put the death toll at four, however, police have not given any comment.

Although the police were to quell the demo, the unfolding confrontation between citizens was left to rage on for remainder of the day.

A police helicopter circled overhead and police also used water cannon to contain the clashes.