Saturday, April 19, 2014

allAfrica.com: Kenya: Police to Prosecute Maalim for Incitement

allAfrica.com: Kenya: Police to Prosecute Maalim for Incitement

It emerged yesterday that police will charge former deputy Speaker Farah Maalim with incitement as National Assembly Majority Leader Adan Duale defended himself over claims that he incited members of the Somali community over the ongoing security swoop.
Maalim yesterday appeared before officers of the Anti-terrorism police unit in Nairobi where he was questioned over remarks that the Government was sponsoring some of the terror incidents in the country. He declined to record statements with the police.
He made the remarks on Wednesday during a television interview on Citizen TV.
The former Lagdera MP has strongly criticized the police operations in Nairobi and Mombasa targeting illegal immigrants. He has claimed that the police were targeting members of the Muslim community.
Inspector General of Police David Kimaiyo and President Uhuru Kenyatta have denied the allegations and maintained that the operation was targeting terrorists.
Maalim arrived at the ATPU offices in Upper hill shortly after 11am and was verbally questioned by Police Superintendent Josphat Bwonya. He was escorted by his lawyer Harun Ndubi. And after an hour with the investigators, Maalim confidently walked out and told journalists that he had opted to remain silent.
Head of ATPU Boniface Mwaniki declined to comment on the investigations. Sources however said the investigators were by last evening compiling a report to be handed over to the Director of Public Prosecution Keriako Tobiko with the recommendations to charge Maalim.
"We are also looking to see if we can add some more charges," said an officer in the CID. Maalim has denied links the Al Shabaab.
During the TV interview, he alleged that government knew more than it was saying about the recent terrorist attacks and wanted to blame Somalis to distract attention.
"It's rubbish for anyone to claim that I have links to al Shabaab and that my bank account has been investigated. I do not have any money to cause any concern. I'm a simple ordinary Kenyan who struggles to make ends meet," said Maalim.
The former MP was summoned questioning soon after he finished a live talk show on Citizen Television about Operation Usalama Watch.
"I am not worried about the summons and they will not cow me. I believe the approach the government has taken in its quest to fighting terror will not yield fruit but will escalate the situation," he said.
"It is also aimed at profiling the Muslim and Somali community and to serve as an economic sabotage to the enterprising Somali people," he said.
"We will support war on terror but not a reckless government which has no idea of how to tackle the threat," he added.
Meanwhile, Duale yesterday blamed quacks for poor translation of the recent comments he made in his own Somali language that has ignited heated debate between the Christian and Muslim religions in the country.
Duale said that what he said during a recent public rally in Nairobi's Eastleigh area was translated out of context. The translation aired by a local Television channel claimed that Dualle had called terror groups to target other areas like Machakos because they had limited terror attacks.
"It is a pity that some media Houses (not Radio Africa Limited) are using quacks to translate for them tapes for political propaganda," Duale said yesterday at parliament buildings.
Duale made the comments at a time when the government has initiated a campaign to crackdown and flush out suspected terror suspects and illegal immigrants in the country.
The government's crackdown in Eastleigh that is dominated by Kenyan Somalis comes at a time the country is facing increased terror attacks by individuals with links to Somalia based Al Shabaab terror group.
"It is important that the Eastleigh business community and residents cooperate with the security agencies in the country to limit acts of grenade attacks among civilian Kenyans by exposing crucial information. That is why the same cant happen in other areas like Machakos and this is exactly what i said.
The leader of majority said that just like any other leader, he has every right to champion and protect the rights of their people.
"I am a national leader and I stand for national security. Acts of Al shabaab terror group and others should be condemned by any peace loving Muslim. My constituency in Garissa has been hit by the terror group so hard that over 69 people have lost their lives between 2011 and 2013. Over 20 percent of the votes I received in my constituency in the last election were christian," he said.
He vowed to continue championing the interests of all the religions from acts of aggression just like he is steadfast in defending the jubilee government on the floor of the House.

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