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Kenya: Revealed - Raila's Real MoU With Muslims
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The Nation (Nairobi)
28 November 2007
Posted to the web 28 November 2007
Bernard Namunane
Nairobi
A group of Muslims Tuesday made public their Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with ODM presidential candidate Raila Odinga and denied that it was meant to suppress other religions.
They also explained why they chose to support Mr Odinga instead of President Kibaki, who is defending his seat on a PNU ticket, and ODM Kenya flag bearer Kalonzo Musyoka.
The National Muslim Leaders Forum (Namlef), which signed the pact on behalf of fellow Muslims, said they had been motivated by the need to protect the interests of members of the religious community who have suffered oppression under successive governments since independence in 1963.
And Mr Odinga reiterated that ODM's pact with Muslims "was very innocent", contrary to the allegations in some quarters, especially by his political rivals. Mr Odinga also stated that this was not the first time that such an agreement had been signed with members of the Muslim community.
Since early this month, a purported MoU has been circulating on the Internet, which Mr Odinga and Muslim leaders dismissed as a fake, with the ODM candidate promising that the real pact would be made "public at an appropriate time". Yesterday, Mr Odinga said: "Even the current Head of State, President Kibaki, did so in the run-up to the 2002 General Election at Nyali Beach Hotel in the presence of Mr Michael Wamalwa (who became the Vice-President) and Mr Kalonzo Musyoka (now the ODM-K presidential candidate). I, therefore, wonder why people are up in arms."
Namlef chairman Sheikh Abdullahi Abdi said: "The objective was to safeguard the interests of a section of the Kenyan community (Muslims) that has undergone atrocities over the last 44 years.
"Fears that Muslims want to introduce Sharia law and make Islam the supreme religion in this country are false and only meant to generate hostility between us and our Christian and Hindu brothers. Islam does not suppress other religions."
Namlef, the national umbrella platform of leaders of Muslim organisations, called the press conference at its offices in Hurlingham, Nairobi, to clear the air over the controversy.
When Mr Odinga disclosed in public that he had signed an MoU with Muslims, this sparked off national debate with some Christian leaders denouncing it.
The issue was also seized by PNU leaders, who denounced the pact as allegedly meant to create religious animosity.
Disowned pact
Some Islamic organsations, including the Supreme Council of Muslims of Kenya (Supkem), also disowned the pact, saying they had not been consulted.
Sheikh Abdi and Sheikh Said Athman (the national executive council member of the Muslim forum) agreed with Mr Odinga that a similar MoU was signed in 2002 in Mombasa.
"We are shocked, as Muslims, about the heat that this matter has generated. A false MoU has been circulated to cause fear, despondency and animosity between Christians and Muslims. The PNU (presidential) candidate has done nothing as the debate rages. We had expected him to say something," said Sheikh Abdi.
Mr Odinga, who spoke to the Nation at Wilson Airport in Nairobi, on his way to an election campaign rally in Bura, Coast Province, said the disclosure of the content of the pact should lay to rest the debate on the MoU.
In the pact, Namlef committed itself to mobilising all Muslims to support Mr Odinga's presidential bid on condition that once in office, he will embrace the forum as his partner in forging relations with Muslims and as an advisor on affairs concerning the faith.
Secondly, that Mr Odinga will initiate a radical transformation of the country-through genuine devolution- and put in place policies that support the poor, engender good governance, the rule of law, respect for the constitution and popular participation in decision making.
Mr Odinga also committed himself to an ODM government giving priority in budgetary allocations to North Eastern and Coast provinces in the first two years in power to construct roads, build houses, provide water and promote education and health facilities in the region and in other marginalised areas.
That an ODM government will set up an inquiry into the actions of the Kibaki administration against Muslims, including the extradition of Kenyans to Somalia, Ethiopia and Guantanamo Bay (a US military detention base in Cuba).
"Such schemes and actions will be put to an end and public officers responsible for the same named and held to account," says the MoU signed on August 29.
Sheikh Abdi said they had decided to back Mr Odinga after President Kibaki and Mr Musyoka failed to give them any assurances.
He said they presented their memorandum to President Kibaki at State House in 2005, and met Mr Musyoka three times over the matter.
"We agreed that President Kibaki is not going to be our candidate because of the renditions, while Mr Musyoka was non-committal on our MoU," he said.
Terrorism
Extraditions of Muslims on suspicion of having a hand in terrorism have generated anger against the Government, compelling the President to set up a special presidential committee to deal with "alleged harassment and\or discrimination in the applications and enforcement of the law particularly as regards security issues."
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The 12-member committee chaired by Mr Mohammed Sharawe, includes Attorney-General Amos Wako. It has been holding low-key hearings at the Coast and is now going all over the country. It is expected to make recommendations to the Government next month.
How on earth shall we know the Revealed MOU is the real one? If it is, why has it taken donkey years for Raila to reveal it? the same NAMLEF circulated what they told us they signed and dared raila deny it.who is fooling who here? The heat has become too hot for NAMLEF and their comrade Raila to bear and had to draft a phony MOU for public relations sake. Kenyan are no fools and can see right through a lie! We had Islamic fire brands in IPK before (Islamic Party of Kenya)and now NAMLEF. What next? Another bombing... [Read Full Text]
How on earth shall we know that the "Revealed MOU" is the real one? If it is, why has it taken donkey years for Raila to reveal it? the same NAMLEF circulated what they told us they signed and dared raila deny it.who is fooling who here? The heat has become too hot for NAMLEF and their comrade Raila to bear and had to draft a phony MOU for public relations sake. Kenyan are no fools and can see right through a lie! We had Islamic fire brands in IPK before (Islamic Party of Kenya)and now NAMLEF. What next? Another... [Read Full Text]
How on earth shall we know that the "Revealed MOU" is the real one? If it is, why has it taken donkey years for Raila to reveal it? the same NAMLEF circulated what they told us they signed and dared raila deny it.who is fooling who here? The heat has become too hot for NAMLEF and their comrade Raila to bear and had to draft a phony MOU for public relations sake. Kenyan are no fools and can see right through a lie! We had Islamic fire brands in IPK before (Islamic Party of Kenya)and now NAMLEF. What next? Another... [Read Full Text]
How on earth shall we know the Revealed MOU is the real one? If it is, why has it taken donkey years for Raila to reveal it? the same NAMLEF circulated what they told us they signed and dared raila deny it.who is fooling who here? The heat has become too hot for NAMLEF and their comrade Raila to bear and had to draft a phony MOU for public relations sake. Kenyan are no fools and can see right through a lie! We had Islamic fire brands in IPK before (Islamic Party of Kenya)and now NAMLEF. What next? Another bombing... [Read Full Text]
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