Makaburi supporters plan protests after Friday prayers

Security Officers keep vigil around the former Musa Mosque at Majengo in Mombasa. 500 police officers were sent to Mombasa from Nairobi to help contain any violence. [Photo: Maarufu Mohamed/Standard]

By Philip Mwakio, Willis Oketch and Ishaq Jumbe

Mombasa, Kenya: Tension is high in Mombasa after police moved in to tighten security ahead of Friday’s prayers in various mosques.

Muslim leaders had given the Government a three-day ultimatum that ends Friday, to reveal the people who were behind Tuesday’s killing of radical preacher Sheikh Abubakar Sharif alias Makaburi, failure to which they would hold a mass protest.

The leaders have, however, warned the faithful to shun any protests planned after prayers Friday.

A top official within Mombasa’s police establishment told The Standard last evening: “We have been given firm instructions that any gathering which can lead to violence has to be broken up and will not be allowed.”

Thursday the US embassy in Nairobi warned its citizens against visiting Mombasa following Tuesday’s killing of Makaburi.

A man identified as Juma Hamisi and his wife Misaudi Athman from Tanzania have already been arrested in connection with the March 23 church attack in Likoni.

Initially, police denied knowledge of the arrests, which were executed in the dead of the night in Likoni on Wednesday, but last evening they were  brought before court where investigators sought their detention for four days.

A sworn affidavit seen by The Standard shows the two have information that can lead to the arrest of perpetrators of the March 23 church atrocity in Likoni.

A third person, an unidentified man was arrested from a restaurant in Mombasa town, but police have denied knowledge of this.

Group retaliation

Intelligence sources said Thursday that initial reaction to Makaburi’s followers at the former Musa Mosque and at Sakina Mosque reacted with shock after his killing but warned that Friday some of them might be tempted to engage in lone or group retaliation on nearby churches, government establishments and other symbols of what the radicals consider to be signs of secular impurity.

“It is obvious that radicals will revenge (this killing) but we do not know when that will be,” added the source.s Analysts in the intelligence circles told The Standard that most hardcore followers of the slain preacher disappeared from their usual haunts in the slums and could be planning to flee the city or planning unrest.

Thursday, Mombasa County police commander Robert Kitur warned that police will not allow anyone to cause trouble in Mombasa, while key Muslim leaders Sheikh Mohamed Dor of the Council of Imams and Preachers of Kenya and Sheikh Juma Ngao of the Kenya Muslim National Advisory Council warning Muslims to stay away from trouble Friday.

Ngao claimed that some institutions appear “to have too much money” to engage in violence and urged any planners of protests to channel their energies into peacemaking.

The Standard has learnt that a contingent 500 policemen has been deployed from Nairobi to the coastal town to contain any chaos Friday around Musa and Sakina mosques, which have thousands of Makaburi’s followers as reports emerged that special forces might seize more people or even prevent prayers in these mosques if they anticipate chaos.

Besides guarding certain installations in Likoni, Majengo and Kisauni, the officers will join the search for militants believed to have committed the March 23 church attack.

Players in the tourism industry at the Coast reacted swiftly to a travel warning issued by the US. “Any amount of violence and restriction of movement of people be they local or foreigners  will continue further hurting the tourism industry which is again at its lowest ebb ever in recent times,’’ said Paul Kurgat, the newly elected President of Skal Club Kenya.