Nation Team
2 December 2000
Nairobi — One man was found burnt to death in his home and a Catholic church was set on fire as the dispute over a plot near a Nairobi slum flared into violence for the second day running.
The man's charred remains were found in his one-roomed house yesterday morning. It is feared he might have died on Thursday night when youths torched part of the slum after a mosque was burnt down earlier in the day.
Embakasi deputy police chief Mohammed Abdi confirmed the death.
The Catholic church - Our Lady Queen of Peace, at the heart of the city's South B estate - was gutted by fire in yesterday's violence, as its two priests, Fr Patrick Francis and Fr Patrick Jesus, stood helplessly by.
Administration, political and religious leaders tried in vain to reconcile the warring groups.
Cabinet ministers Sharrif Nassir and Maalim Mohammed and National Development Party leader Raila Odinga, nominated MP Yusuf Haji, assistant minister Mohamed Affey and the Supreme Council of Kenya Muslims (Supkem) chairman, Prof Al Busaidy, all appealed for calm.
The two Cabinet ministers and Mr. Haji were shouted down when they attempted to cool tempers at the site of the South B mosque, burnt down by furious traders the previous day.
The violence spilled into Nairobi city centre and a senior police officer was injured as youths carrying cans of petrol attempted to set fire a Government car near the Banda Street Jamia mosque.
The Central Police Station boss - a Mr. Mbengele - was hit on the head with a stone as he and colleagues ringed the car to save it from the mob, who had marched from South B towards the mosque.
Several passers-by were also pelted with stones.
President Moi in a statement issued by the Presidential Press Service said the fighting was unacceptable and should be stopped forthwith.
He expressed his symp[athy to those who had lost relatives, friends and their places of worship and business and ordered the police to be "alert and vigilant" and to respond promptly to distress calls to stop any more loss of life.
The provincial administration denied suggestions that it was taking a partisan position in the violence, which has now seen a churches, a mosque, an entertainment centre and sections of the Mukuru Fuata Nyayo slums burnt down.
Provincial Commissioner Cyrus Maina promised to resolve the 10-year plot dispute within a month. The Muslims own the plot on which traders built kiosks, claiming they too had been given allocations for the land. The fighting began when the Muslims announced the traders would have to leave the plot.
Supkem chairman Prof Busaidy said although the PC had assured them that the Government was not taking sides, Muslims had "every right to safeguard their rights."
"The burning of the mosque is a sacrilege and a deplorable act which must be condemned by all peace loving Kenyans," he said.
Members of the Ufungamano steering committee, who included Catholic Bishop John Njue, Archbishop David Gitari, NCCK general secretary the Rev Mutava Musyimi, Prof Kivutha Kibwana and Sheikh Abdullahi Abdi were beaten when they went to the estate and attempted to cool the tempers of the rioting groups.
In Mombasa, Muslim leaders attributed the violence to forces within the Government opposed to the faiths-led Ufungamano Constitutional review. They claimed they were attempting to cause animosity between Muslims and Christians to scuttle the initiative.
Muslims were asked to show restraint, by the leaders of the Council of Imams and Preachers, the unregistered Islamic Party of Kenya, Supkem (Mombasa) and the Muslims for Human Rights (Muhuri).
During a joint Press conference held at the Sakina Mosque, Council of Imams chairman Sheikh Ali Shee, vice chairman Idriss Mohamed, secretary general Mohamed Dor and other officials warned that such violence could lead to religious animosity countrywide.
They demanded the resignation of security minister Marsden Madoka and Police Commissioner Philemon Abongo, saying they had failed in their duties.
The national chairman of the Muslim Youth of Kenya, Mr. Rishad Amana, called on the youths in Nairobi not to turn the violence into a religious war. He urged calm and appealed to the Muslim leaders and the Government to resolve the dispute quickly.
As they spoke, an attempt to burn down Mombasa Pentecostal Church on Jomo Kenyatta Avenue was foiled by swift action by church workers.
The fire slightly damaged prayer books and a bench before it was put out.
A member of the church, who was inside when the incident occurred, Mr. Michael Mugambi, said the fire was started by about seven youths.
"I was praying when I saw three of the youths enter the church who were immediately followed by two others carrying a 20-litre jerry can which I later learnt contained petrol," he said.
The five started sprinkling the pews with petrol before one of them ignited the fire.
"Immediately they lit the fire they started running away and church employees came and put off the fire using extinguishers," he said.
Mombasa police boss Nicodemus Diffu said adequate security measures had been put in place to avert attacks on religious buildings.
Be the first to Write a Comment!
Copyright © 2000 The Nation. All rights reserved. Distributed by AllAfrica Global Media (allAfrica.com). To contact the copyright holder directly for corrections — or for permission to republish or make other authorized use of this material, click here.
AllAfrica aggregates and indexes content from over 125 African news organizations, plus more than 200 other sources, who are responsible for their own reporting and views. Articles and commentaries that identify allAfrica.com as the publisher are produced or commissioned by AllAfrica.
