Catholic Information Service for Africa (Nairobi)
9 November 2007
Nairobi — Amidst controversy over a secret memorandum of understanding signed between presidential candidate Raila Odinga and Muslim leaders, purported copies of the contract are in circulation in Nairobi and by email.
CISA obtained a copy containing a raft of pledges Odinga allegedly made to Muslims on August 29. The document is signed by him and Sheikh Abdullahi Abdi, chairman of the National Muslim Leaders Forum.
But Sheikh Abdi, who said he has seen the document, dismissed it as a forgery, adding that in this era of advanced information technology it was very easy to reproduce a person's signature.
He told CISA that he and other Muslim leaders had worked closely with the Catholic Church and other Christians in fighting for the rights of Kenyans. He would not be party to a scheme to curtail the rights of others as claimed in the document.
Odinga's pledges, according to the copy in our possession, include creation of two semi-autonomous regions fully controlled by Muslims at the Coast and North-eastern Kenya. The regions shall be under the Islamic law, or Shariah.
Odinga's Orange Democratic Movement (ODM) party has promised to introduce federalism, known here as Majimbo.
While, media reports have quoted him confirming that he signed an MOU with Muslims, Odinga has not divulged the details, even after being pressured by evangelical churches.
The document says Odinga, whose religious affiliation is unknown, "recognizes Islam as the only true religion" while the Muslim signatories acknowledge him "as the only candidate who has the interests of the Muslim community at heart."
The Muslims offer to "campaign vigorously" and to "deploy all resources at their disposal" to ensure his resounding victory in the December 27 general election.
If he wins, Odinga on his part pledges to reinstate and protect the rights of Muslims "who have been oppressed and discriminated against by the current and previous governments."
He shall "within six months re-write the Constitution of Kenya to recognize Shariah as the only law sanctioned by the Holy Quran for Muslim declared regions."
His government shall establish Sharia courts throughout Kenya, popularize Islam at the Coast and North Eastern regions by enforcing compulsory Muslim classes in primary schools there and impose a ban on open-air preaching "by worshippers of the cross" in the regions.
The ODM government shall also outlaw Christian programmes on public radio and prohibit sale of alcohol in Muslim majority towns.
There shall be a ban on women's dressing that is considered offensive to Muslims in the regions controlled by followers of the faith.
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I read this article with alot of concern. For many years, Kenyans have been kept in the dark about secrete MOUs signed by our leaders with no details about their contents being made public. It is unfortunate that our country is bieng balkernized into religious power bases that are not only dangerous but also ones that will shake the unity that has been the craddle of Kenya's stability and democratic progress. That our Muslim brothers and sisters have been discriminated agianst is both outragious and nonsensical. Muslims are the most influantial people whose rights have been incorporated even within the judicial system of this country. It is wrong for peolpe to wear the Kenyan jersey when it is only convinience to them. while it is unfortunate that Kenyans are send to face terrosist charges in other countries, it is not out of malice that a high percentage of these people are Muslims. While the Muslim community is at pains to draw a line between terrorism and Islam, they would stop at nothing in defending such individuals on the basis of thier religion. Whether a christain, Hindu, or Muslim, a criminal is a criminal and must be investigated if order in society is to be maintained.It is not OK for our Muslim brothers and sisters to be discriminated against, it is also not OK for innocent people to be killed and criminal acts done in the name of islam. Religious tolerance and freedom of worship have been the pillars of the Kenyan society for a long time. Kenya is a free country and anybody who encourages or even thinks of setting any area of this country excusively for a certain religion is not only retrogressive but also lacks the vision to steer Kenya to greater hights. Its is unfortunate to hear our leaders equating thier propagation of majimboism to the successes in countries like USA, Germany, and Canada. History tells us that federalism in these countries florished because of intergration and not disintergration.The United States is what it is now because the initial autonomous states formed a union. Germany was West and East before its unification. How about the Italian Unification. Our leaders should realize that the contemporary society is forging towards intergaration and diversity and not balkernazation and religious idiocincracy. Our leaders should come clean and tell Kenyans what thier agenda is. It is unfortunate that many Kenyas are not aware of such designs and thier consequences. I applaud your courage to bring to light this MOU, which the mainstream media has either purposely or out of ignorance failed to highlight. thank you
Katiba, PhD Student Nelson Mandela School of Public Policy Southern university Baton Rouge Louisiana