KENYA SAYS THE COST OF DEPORTING THE CONTROVERSIAL JAMAICAN MUSLIM CLERIC  WOULD AMOUNT TO KSHS 50 MILLION OF TAXPAYERS MONEY. BUT IT HAS FOUND NO COUNTRY THAT WOULD ALLOW HIM EVEN TRANSIT LANDING RIGHTS.

Writers Leo Odera Omolo In Kisumu City.

There is an ongoing police crackdown on foreigners in Kenya, following last Friday’s bloody riots in the capital, Nairobi which left scores of people dead, many injured and property of unknown value looted or destroyed.

Last Friday, rioting Muslim youth took to the streets simultaneously in the capital city, and in the coastal port city of Mombasa, immediately after the midday prayers.

The Muslims were protesting what the demonstrators termed as “illegal detention” by police of the controversial Jamaican Muslim preacher, Sheikh Abdullah al-Faisal.

The controversial Muslim cleric had sneaked into the country using what are locally known as “Panya routes” or “rat routes” from Tanzania, and crossed the border incognito into Kenya via Lungalunga border post at the coast.

His presence was immediately noticed by the hawk-eyed Kenyan security intelligence, and he was arrested  by the uniformed police on December 31st, 2009 at Nyali Mosque in Mombasa. Thereafter, the government of Kenya has made several attempts to deport him out of the country, but all in vain.

First, the government deported him to the Tanzanian border, claiming that he should be Tanzania’s responsibility, since that is where he had entered Kenya from. But Kikwete’s government would hear none of it, and blocked his entrance into Tanzania permanently.

Then an attempt was made by the Kenya government to deport him to Gambia, a plan which looked quite promising for a while.Through inter-government negotiations, the Gambian government had agreed to allow him into their country. He was flown from Nairobi to Lagos on a commercial airliner, en route to Gambia.

The plan however unraveled in Lagos, after the Nigerian authorities could not allow him to alight from the plane that had flown him from Nairobi to Lagos, for transit to a connecting flight to Gambia. He was thus flown back to Nairobi in the same plane that had flown him to Lagos, the very same day.

The Gambian government has since then sent word to Nairobi that they would now not accept the controversial Muslim cleric into their territory. The same goes for all other countries with embassies in Nairobi, who have also indicated that the cleric is banned in their countries.

Today, Kenya’s immigration Minister, Gerald Otieno Kajwang talked about the frustration that the government of Kenya is facing, and the options it was considering to have the matter resolved etc.

The minister admitted that the Kenya government is stuck with the unwanted Muslim cleric, not knowing exactly what to do with him. No country in the world would allow plane carrying the controversial preacher the landing rights for neither refueling or transiting permission to any country of his choice.

The Minister said that the possibility of chartering an airplane to fly the controversial Muslim cleric directly from Nairobi to Kingston, Jamaica is logistically impossible. “The Plane would have to stop somewhere en-route, for the purpose of refueling. But no country is willing to grant such facilities”, he said.

The Minister revealed that the government is in dilemma, and frustrated, not knowing what to do next. He said the cost of a direct flight from Nairobi to Kingston is being estimated at Kshs 50 million. “This money is not there. Even if it is there, there is also the other logistic constraints, because the plane will have to stop at one or two other places for refueling”, the minister lamented.

“We are still negotiating with other friendly countries, but the chances of success is very slim. The money involved is also very colossal as it would come from Kenyan taxpayers money”.

Kajwang said the government has contacted several friendly government, but none was willing to even allow its territory to be used by the plane carrying the controversial Muslim cleric. He readily admitted that the government was facing frustration and embarrassment as well.

The controversial Muslim cleric, who preaches the sermons of racial hate, and religious discrimination between the Muslims and Christians, at times making war-cries, sneaked into Kenya from Tanzania after visiting Tanzania, Malawi, Zambia, Nigeria, Angola, Mozambique. He is believed to have been heading to Somalia, in order to link up with the Al-qaeda backed Al Shabaab militias, who are fighting to overthrow the UN and AU backed  Somali Transitional Government.

But as the Kenyan government engaged on quiet diplomatic maneuvers and intensive negotiations, in a concerted efforts to find the ways and means of facilitating passage home for its unwanted guest, the Kenya Muslim leaders have announced another planned demonstration to protest the continued detention of Al-Faisal by the government. The demonstration will take place soon after the Friday midday prayers at the coastal port city of Mombasa. The police  have banned the demonstration of any kind, but the clerics have insisted that the protest match will take place with or without the police permission.

The next protest match is aimed at demanding for compensation and an apology. They said two of their people were killed, 14 other injured and hundred held hostage by police inside the Jammia Mosque in Nairobi.

The civic society, however, wants the government of Kenya to charter a plane to fly Al-Faisal back to his home in Jamaica as soon as possible, in order to restore peace and stability.

A sharp division has, however, emerged among the Kenya Muslim clerics and leaders. The moderate leaders have cautioned those planning for another demonstration to abandon it as it serves no meaningful purpose.

Kenya’s Internal Security Minister, Prof George Saitoti, has  blamed “violent” foreign elements  from a neighboring country for last Friday mayhem.

The minister appealed to the Muslims in Kenya to remain calm. He assured the Muslim community in the country that they would not be targeted, adding their civil liberties would be upheld and respected, therefore they have nothing to fear.

The Minister said that the government would open an inquiry into the violence, adding they would deport Al-Faisal out of the country as soon as possible.

The  on-going police dragnet and clamp down on foreigners has extended from Nairobi to several towns in Western Kenya like Eldoret, Kisumu, Busia, Bungoma, Webuye, Kitale, Siaya, Kakamega. It has so far netted hundreds of foreigners discovered to be in  Kenyas without property documentation.

Those netted include Ugandans, Tanzanians, Rwandans, Sudanese, and those from the Democratic Republic of Congo and Somalis. Even the Maasai watchmen from Tanzania, who had invaded Kenyan towns in their hundreds, have been rounded up, arraigned court and deported back to their home.

Ends
leooderaomolo@yahoo.com