Muslims in Kenyan Politics
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Muslims in Kenyan Politics Muslims in Kenyan Politics Political Involvement, Marginalization, and Minority Status Hassan J. Ndzovu Northwestern University Press Evanston, Illinois Northwestern University Press www.nupress.northwestern.edu This book has been published with the support of the Andrew W. Mellon Foundation. Copyright © 2014 by Northwestern University Press. Published 2014. All rights reserved. Printed in the United States of America 10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1 Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication data are available from the Library of Congress. Except where otherwise noted, this book is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 4.0 International License. To view a copy of this license, visit http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/4.0/. In all cases attribution should include the following information: Ndzovu, Hassan J. Muslims in Kenyan Politics: Political Involvement, Marginaliza- tion, and Minority Status. Evanston, Ill.: Northwestern University Press, 2014. The following material is excluded from the license: Map of Kenya and appendices For permissions beyond the scope of this license, visit www.nupress.northwestern.edu An electronic version of this book is freely available, thanks to the support of libraries working with Knowledge Unlatched. KU is a collaborative initiative designed to make high-quality books open access for the public good. More information about the initiative and links to the open-access version can be found at www.knowledgeunlatched.org. This book is dedicated to my daughters, Swabra and Jamilla, for enduring my long absences during my numerous study trips abroad. contents Preface and Acknowledgments ix List of Abbreviations xi Map of Kenya xv Introduction 3 Chapter One Historical Evolution of Muslim Politics in Kenya from the 1840s to 1963 17 Chapter Two Postcolonial Kenyan Attitudes Toward Religion and the Predicament of Muslims 51 Chapter Three The Development of Muslim Civic Associations and Political Parties 79 Chapter Four Muslim Politics in the Legislative, Judicial, and Constitutional Arenas 107 Chapter Five The Controversial “MOU” and Muslim Topics in an Election Period 139 Appendix A A Brief on the Supreme Council of Kenya Muslims (SUPKEM) 151 Appendix B The Original MOU between NAMLEF and ODM 157 Appendix C The Controversial MOU between NAMLEF and ODM 161 Notes 165 Glossary 189 Bibliography 191 Index 205 preface and acknowledgments This study was confined to Kenya where the discourse of politicized Islam has manifested itself vigorously in recent years. The study was based in large measure on a presentation of the political views of Muslims in Kenya together with an examination of the response, critique, and analysis to which these views have given rise among intellectuals in the country. Clearly demonstrat- ed in this book is that Kenya provides a fascinating scene for exploring the role of religious institutions in civil society and politics, and also that Muslims, de- spite being a minority have produced the most politically visible form of asso- ciational activity in the country. Interviews were indispensable in the writing of this book as it is based on a long field research. My major debt is to those Kenyans who accepted interviews with me and took time out of their busy schedules to discuss various events affecting Muslims in the country. I would like to thank all those who contributed to my knowledge, and I apologize for anything that I may have gotten wrong. I look forward to the day when I might acknowledge each individual. I am grateful to the Moi University administration for granting me the study leave that allowed me to undertake this book project. My other debt is to the two institutions that made the research and writing of this book possible. The African Studies Centre (ASC) at Leiden University gave me a three- month visiting fellowship (January–April 2010) to begin work on the book manuscript. After this fellowship expired, the Institute for the Study of Islamic Thought in Africa (ISITA) at Northwestern University offered me a nine- month postdoctoral position (September 2010– May 2011) to contin- ue researching and writing the manuscript. Both institutions provided good working environments and high expectations, which challenged me to deliv- er results. I would like to make a special mention of the people upon whom the suc- cess of this book depended. I owe a debt of gratitude to Professor Muhammad Sani Umar of Ahmadu Bello University in Nigeria (formerly of ISITA) for his genial leadership and scholarly guidance. He provided much practical help and crucial professional guidance during the writing of this book. His sug- gestions were thoughtful and went a long way in improving the manuscript. I would like to express my sincere gratitude to Professor Benjamin Soares of the African Studies Centre at Leiden University for being the first person to guide me in the ways of writing a manuscript. I wish to thank most sincerely ix x preface and acknowledgments Professor Ruediger Seesemann of Bayreuth University for his inspiration, con- tinuing encouragement, and support. Professor Seesemann provided meticu- lous comments from the beginning of my research and through the project’s evolution from a dissertation to a book. His knowledge of Islam in Kenya and other parts of Africa was an asset and offered valuable lessons. It was a stroke of good fortune that I met him. My debt to him is greater than he realizes. I owe a great deal to members of the Department of Philosophy and Reli- gious Studies at Moi University in Kenya, and especially to Dr. Mohammed Mraja and Mr. Simon Omare for agreeing to teach my courses during my absence from the university. I am grateful to Professor Anne Nangulu, former dean of the School of Arts and Social Science, for intervening on my behalf so that I could accept the fellowship at Northwestern University. She knew it was a wonderful opportunity for my academic career, and she did not want me to forsake it. My debt is also to a host of other wonderful and amazing people, who provided vital comments, criticism, and support during the period when this project was a dissertation. They include Professor Suleman Dangor (my super- visor at the University of Kwazulu Natal), Professor Ulrich Berner (Bayreuth University), Dr. Franz Kogelmann (my advisor at Bayreuth University), Pro- fessor Roman Loimeier (Goettingen University), Dr. Hassan Mwakimako (Pwani University College), Professor Eunice Kamaara (Moi University), and Professor Mohamed Hyder (Muslim Civic Education Trust, Kenya). Finally, the support and encouragement of my family—particularly my spouse, Salma N. Kibicho—and friends was crucial. I would not have accom- plished this important task in my career without them. I am blessed to have a family who always wants me to strive for greater heights. abbreviations AAA Afro- Asian Association ACK Anglican Church of Kenya AIC African Inland Church AMS African Muslim Society APHIA II AIDS, Population, and Health Integrated Assistance ATPU Anti- Terrorism Police Unit BAKWATA Baraza Kuu la Waislamu wa Tanzania CAA Coast Arab Association CIA Central Intelligence Agency CIPK Council of Imams and Preachers of Kenya CKRC Constitution of Kenya Review Commission COTU Central Organization of the Trade Unions CPA Christian People’s Alliance CPG Coast Protective Group CPP Coast Peoples Party DC District Commissioner DO District Officer DP Democratic Party FBI Federal Bureau of Investigation FORD Forum for the Restoration of Democracy FORD- Asili Forum for the Restoration of Democracy, Asili FORD- Kenya Forum for the Restoration of Democracy, Kenya GEMA Gikuyu, Embu, Meru Association xi xii abbreviations IBEAC Imperial British East African Company ICU Islamic Courts Union IPK Islamic Party of Kenya KADU Kenya African Democratic Union KANU Kenya African National Union KAU Kenya African Union KBC Kenya Broadcasting Corporation KDF Kenya Defence Forces KMNAC Kenyan Muslim National Advisory Council KNA Kenya National Archives KPNP Kenya Protectorate National Party LSK Law Society of Kenya MADU Mombasa African District Union MEDA Malindi Education and Development Association MEWA Muslim Education and Welfare Association MOU Memorandum of Understanding NAAM National Association for the Advancement of Muslims in Uganda NAMLF National Muslim Leaders Forum NARC National Rainbow Coalition NCCK National Council of Churches in Kenya NFD Northern Frontier District NGO Nongovernmental Organization NPPP Northern Province Peoples Party ODM Orange Democratic Movement PFLP Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine PLO Palestine Liberation Organization SDA Seventh- day Adventist SPK Shirikisho Party of Kenya Abbreviations xiii SUPKEM Supreme Council of Kenya Muslims TFG Transitional Federal Government UECK United Evangelical Churches of Kenya UMA United Muslims of Africa U.S. United States USAID United States Agency for International Development This map of Kenya shows the provincial administrative boundaries with the major towns. Source: Arye Oded, Islam and Politics in Kenya (London: Lynne Rienner Publisher, 2000). Muslims in Kenyan Politics introduction Kenya’s established tradition of separation of church and state has not suc- cessfully severed the relationship between religion and politics. This book investigates the interweaving of religion and politics and, in particular, the changing relationship between Muslims and various political developments in Kenya from precolonial times to the present. It traces the role