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… [Read Full Text]