kenya Internal Security minister George Saitoti blames al-Shabaab group

Internal Security minister George Saitoti (right) addresses the press in his Harambee House office on Saturday where he said the government should deport controversial Jamaican Muslim preacher Sheikh Ibrahim Al-Faisal. At left is Development of Northern Kenya and Arid Lands minister Mohamed Elmi. Photo/PAUL WAWERU

By DAVE OPIYO and GALGALO BOCHAPosted Saturday, January 16 2010 at 20:00

• People with extremist ideas joined the demo, says minister

Foreign terror groups aimed to use Friday’s deadly demonstrations to divide Kenyans along religious lines with a view to causing wider strife in the country.Intelligence reports indicate that some of the people behind the march were planning “something bigger” than the riots that saw at least one man shot dead and six police officers injured.They aimed to paint Kenya as a place that is hostile to Muslims to win support for their cause, according to Internal Security minister, Prof George Saitoti.“The government will work with Muslim leaders to root out the criminal elements and maintain harmonious co-existence among all faiths,” he said.Security officials are on high alert after it emerged that sympathisers of the al-Shabaab militia group took part in the protests staged to demand the release of radical Muslim cleric Sheikh Abdullah al-Faisal.

Prof Saitoti confirmed that the government had received information that the demonstration would be infiltrated by “violent foreign elements” from a neighbouring country, including criminals out to cause mayhem.

Officials of The Council of Imams and Preachers of Kenya (CIPK) and Muslims for Human Rights (MUHURI) held a joint press conference on Saturday at CIPK’s offices in Mombasa and called on police to arrest those responsible for the killing of protesters.They promised to issue a fresh statement next Friday “if the State fails to take concrete action”. They did not specify the action they would take if nothing is done to the officers who broke up the demo.Leaders from both organisations criticised Police Commissioner Matthew Iteere and called for international inquiry into his conduct.“It was saddening to see tear gas canisters and live bullets being fired at Muslims inside Masjid Jamia,” said CIPK organising secretary Sheikh Mohammed Khalifa in reference to the Nairobi mosque near where the demonstration took place.

In Nairobi, Prof Saitoti said infiltration by the said foreign elements was the sole reason for the cancellation of a permit to allow supporters of Sheikh Abdullah al-Faisal to protest and that the cleric should be deported immediately.The protests that caused destruction of property and disrupted business in the central business district for hours have since been denounced by leaders of the Jamia Mosque. And, even as he ordered an inquiry into the saga, Prof Saitoti said the government was closely monitoring the situation.“These individuals had planned mayhem . . . it was supposed to be bigger. Intelligence reports indicate that these individuals were sympathetic to al-Shabaab,” said the minister at his Harambee House offices on Saturday.He added: “It is based on these facts that the police declined to issue a permit for the demonstration.”“Unfortunately, this advice was ignored by those who did not heed the wise counsel of the leadership of Jamia Mosque,” he added.MORE.. 2 | 3