Agony as families search for missing kin

By Benard Sanga, Ishaq Jumbe and Philip Mwakio

Mombasa, Kenya: Several families in Mombasa have claimed their loved ones caught up in last weekend’s fracas at Musa Mosque are still missing.

Their claims came as human rights organisations warned that the death toll was likely to rise after two more people succumbed to injuries yesterday. Families also said they are facing problems retrieving corpses from the Coast General Hospital for burial due to police restrictions.

Human rights sources indicated that the death toll had by yesterday shot to eight as four people were buried on Monday and Tuesday.

Reports further indicated that the crier of Sakina Mosque identified only as Omar was among those killed in the fracas. Mombasa County Police Commander Robert Kitur said yesterday that he was not aware of the alleged death but added that authorities are still sifting through information to determine the death toll.

Yesterday, two youths who were shot during the riots were buried in Kinango and Mombasa. Haki Africa Executive Director Hussein Khalid told The Standard that a fifth victim, Suleiman Ali, died at Coast General Hospital yesterday where he was undergoing treatment after he sustained gunshot injuries.

The deceased’s uncle, Ramadhan Shaban, who signed an affidavit to have the body released from mortuary, said his nephew, 20, had travelled from Ukunda, Kwale to attend the convention.

Self-defence

Khalid said the sixth victim, Abdul Rashid from Kilifi, also died but his family had not come forward to claim the body. Reports have now emerged that youths from different Madrassas in Malindi, Kwale, Kilifi and several parts of Mombasa were lured by the promise of Swahili dishes like pilau and biryani to attend the jihadists’ convention. The youths were also transported to the Musa Mosque, though it was not clear who hired the vehicles and who paid for the free meal.

A family from Kisauni yesterday lamented that though they had advised their son against attending the convention, he “was excited when he was told that he would be trained on how to use a gun for self-defence”.

“My son came from Malindi to attend the convention. We did not know that it was banned or the police will storm it. Since yesterday, I have not heard from him,” said Abubakari Mohamed adding, “I fear that he was killed.”

He said that the police provoked the youths after they stormed the mosque. Jazila Bakari, from Soko Mjinga, Kisauni, 15 said her 16-year-old son Zuberi Maulid has been missing since he went to the mosque for prayers. “We were told that he would be arraigned in court today but he did not appear. We have gone to all police stations and we have not found him. If they killed him, we request them to hand over his body,” said

Bakari outside Mombasa Law Courts yesterday.

Rahama Mohamed from Majengo said her son, a pupil at St Augustine Primary School, went to the mosque after it was announced that food would be served.