Ngumbao Kithi, Eunice Machuhi, Ismail Mwadham and Gitonga Marete
30 September 2003
Nairobi — Police yesterday pleaded with a court for more time to interrogate two terror suspects in their custody, one of them a student.
Principal State counsel Patrick Gumo was responding to a court order given on Friday directing police to appear yesterday to show cause why the two suspects should not be released.
The order followed an application by lawyer Swaleh Nabhan for the Form Four student at a Mombasa school and Mr Mohamed Ali Hassan.
The judge will give his ruling today.
Earlier, National Security minister Chris Murungaru had said in Mombasa that the two suspects may have vital information that could help the Government in its fight against terrorism.
He asked Muslim leaders not to view the war against terrorism as victimisation of a section of Kenyans. "In our fight against terrorism, religion, colour or creed are not considerations," he said. "As long as we suspect you are involved in terrorism, you will be arrested."
Mr Murungaru was reacting to protests by some Muslim leaders over last week's arrest of two suspects who are being questioned in Mombasa over their links with Afghanistan.
The two, who were arrested by police as they were coming from evening prayers at Masjid Mosque in Majengo, are suspected to have communicated with terrorists in Afghanistan.
"In Nairobi, majority of the armed gangsters shot dead every day are normally Kamau and the like, but have you ever heard the Kikuyu saying their people are targeted?" Dr Murungaru asked, moments after he opened the sixth Kenya Meteorological Society workshop on meteorological research applications and services at a Mombasa hotel.
He was with Transport and Communications assistant minister Andrew Ligale, Coast Provincial Commissioner Cyrus Maina and Meteorological Services director Joseph Mukabana.
On Sunday, Chief Kadhi Sheikh Hammad Kassim criticised the arrests and said the war against terror would only succeed if the Government involved Muslims themselves in the fight.
On constitutional review, Dr Murungaru said the final document from the Bomas talks must be subjected to a national referendum for Kenyans to digest its content.
His statement echoed sentiments by the chairman of the Parliamentary Select Committee on Constitutional Review, Mr Paul Muite, and the Ufungamano Initiative chairman, the Rev Mutava Musyimi. Roads and Public Works minister Raila Odinga has opposed to the referendum proposal.
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