Presenter’s arrest shocked us, says station

By PATRICK BEJA and CYRUS OMBATI

An FM radio station says the arrest of one of its presenters over the Kampala bombings is shocking.

More than 70 people were killed and scores injured during the twin bombings in Kampala, Uganda on July 11.

On Tuesday, the Mombasa-based Radio Salaam FM said Habib Suleiman Njoroge was hired on a six-month contract in March, as a voice artist before he was arrested on Saturday.

Programmes Controller Abeid Mtsumi said they did not suspect anything unusual before Mr Njoroge’s arrest.

Mr Mtsumi said the journalist had an impressive record from two other FM radio stations.

"Apart from his work at the station, we did not know his life outside the station. But we are ready to co-operate with the police to unearth the truth and ensure justice," he told The Standard.

Part-timer

Mtsumi also said the presenter worked on a need-basis, since he was always away when there was no assignment for him.

He said Njoroge had recently started presenting a religious programme at the station but Mr Sheikh Said was the producer.

"Njoroge was the voice artist for the station imaging. He had just started hosting a religious programme and he was doing fine," Mtsumi said.

He said police had not visited the station since they picked up the presenter at the weekend.

On Monday, police went to Njoroge’s Majengo home in Mombasa and picked up his wife, Hawa Ibrahim.

Meanwhile, one of the three men arrested in Mombasa in connection with the Kampala bombings has been deported to Tanzania.

The man who police said is a Tanzanian, was handed over to detectives in Dar-es-salaam.

The suspect had been living in Mombasa and is married to a Kenyan woman.

He was among three men arrested on Monday and interrogated before being taken away while the other two were later released.

Police claim the suspect had a hand in the planning of the Kampala bombings and he is wanted back in his country for similar charges.

"Tanzanian police arrived and picked him up on Monday evening. He is no longer in the country," said a senior police officer.