"Radical youths"brutally attack Mombasa cleric

By Ishaq Jumbe and Stanley Mwahanga

MOMBASA, KENYA: A Muslim cleric has been hospitalised following a brutal knife attack by people suspected to be ultra-orthodox sympathisers of slain Muslim cleric Aboud Rogo in the volatile Majengo area of Mombasa.

He underwent life saving surgery at the Jocham hospital and his condition was not known by Thursday.

Police suspect the motive of the attack was ideological given that Sheikh Bahero, himself a powerful and eminent cleric recently fell out with radical Islamist over calls for Islamic jihad. Sheikh Bahero also reportedly opposed the February 2 jihadist convention at Musa Mosque that ended in blood and tears when police stormed it.

Meanwhile Sheikh Bahero, a native of Kipini in Tana River but long time resident of Mombasa was known to be ideological opposed to the late Rogo's ideas.

According to sources, Sheikh Ali Ahmed Bahero who preaches at Masjid Rahma in Bakarani area of Mombasa was accosted on Thursday morning by a gang of youths who were said to be from the nearby Musa Mosque which has been re branded to Masjid Al-Shuhadaa by people identified by witnesses as light skinned assailants.

The early morning attack left the cleric with injuries to his head,  broken limbs and badly bruised torso with blood flowing profusely as he was rushed to the Jocham Hospital.

According to Mombasa OCPD Geoffrey Mayek police believe the attackers were "radical youths" estimated to be "around 40 and were carrying stone and knifes" but could not tell if the attackers were among those released from police custody following the February 2 storming of the former Musa Mosque.

"We have launched investigations but we are waiting for the Sheikh (Bahero) to come out and  identify his attackers,"said Mayek who indicated that the attack took place at around 8.30 am around Bakarani area.

When the Standard visited the hospital, the Sheikh was undergoing emergency surgery.

Police in Mombasa confirmed the attack with County Commander Robert Kitur confirming the cleric had indeed been attacked by unknown people.

Accounts say the cleric was from his regular teachings at a school identified as  Gateways and as he was in the midst of flagging down a Tuk tuk back home he was accosted by three individuals.

The three are said to have asked him to identify himself whether he was the sheikh who they were looking for and he gave out his name the gangs clobbered the sheikh with blunt weapons.