FRIDAY BULLETIN—Strong calls were made to the government to intervene in the case of Kenyans being detained in Uganda. Leaders drawn from various Muslim organizations accused the government of turning a blind eye to the fate of its citizens saying that they too deserved to be treated in a fair manner.
They were particularly incensed at the recent detentions of relatives of the rendition Kenyans who were arrested by Ugandan authorities after attending a court hearing where their family members are being charged in connection with the 2010 bombing in the capital Kampala.
“It is absurd for the government to neglect the plight of its citizens and leave them to rot in Ugandan jails. The government should act and ensure that their rights are protected,” said the National Muslim Leader Forum (NAMLEF) vice chairman Yusuf Murigu during a press conference yesterday at Jamia mosque, Nairobi.
He observed that a month after the arrest of Jaffar Ali a brother to Muhammad Ali who is among the seven Kenyans facing trial for the Kampala bombing in Kampala, the government has not taken any steps to intervene and ensure that the family gets justice.
A mother to one of the renditioned Kenyans Omar Awadh was also detained for following up the arrest of her other son who was arrested together with Jaffar after attended the court hearing
The Muslim Human Rights Forum (MHRF) chairman Al Amin Kimathi urged President Uhuru Kenyatta to honour his pledge and bring the renditioned Kenyans back home. “We are telling President Uhuru Kenyatta to bring our citizens back home and if they committed the crimes on Kenyan soil, they should be brought home and tried locally,” he said.
He went on to express his concern about the growing incidences of extra judicial disappearances and killings which has seen many youth disappear without trace. “The illegal actions are a constant source of pain and agony for the affected families and breed anxiety and resentment in the whole community,” he added.
The leaders urged the government to heed the call of the US President Barrack Hussein Obama to the Uhuru administration to end the profiling and victimization of Muslims. “This is the same strategy which Muslims leaders have consistently advocated to the government to adopt instead of the policy of victimization,” said Murigu.
On his part, the Supreme Council of Kenya Muslims (SUPKEM) director general Abdullatif Shaaban said the funding promised by the US leader towards security agencies to curb the Al Shabaab threat should be pegged on respecting human rights values. “While the assistance is important, we however, wish to state that it should be tied to the government’s willingness to embrace human rights principles in the fight against terrorism.
This is in line with the Leahy Law enacted by the US Congress which bars American aid to countries and institutions which commit human rights violations ensuring that the American government is not party to human rights abuses,” he said.
The leaders at the same time hailed President Uhuru for his bold stand to reject calls from Obama to recognize and protect the rights of homosexuals in the country. “His bold and courage’s stand is a source of pride for the nation and a testimony that he is ready to stand up towards safeguarding the country’s moral values,” the statement read.
The government was also told to address the challenges faced by Muslim in obtaining national identity cards as a growing number of youth continue to be left out in education and employment opportunities.
Other leaders present during the press conference included Faoruk Adam the Jamia mosque vice chairman and the secretary general Abdul Bary Hamid.
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