Islam and Politics in Kenya

6 Current Issues I S I M NEWSLETTER 1 1 / 0 2 East Africa ARY E OD ED Islam and Politics Since independence there is widespread grievance among Kenyan Muslims who feel that the mainly Christian regime treats them as second-class citizens and discriminates against them economically and po- in Kenya litically. The government, for its part, has fears that the influence of some foreign and local radical Mus- lims could disrupt peace and security in Kenya. The tions, there were 30 Muslim MPs out of 210 the IPK on the grounds that it was a reli- the regime. The government shut down 1992Ð1994 Muslim disturbances along the coast, the MPs (14.2 per cent). gious political party and thus violated the several Muslim NGOs and deported some twin bombings of the US embassies in Nairobi and There have been other concessions that principle of the separation of church and non-indigenous workers who were suspect- Dar-es-Salaam in 1998, and the recent bombing of a the government has made since indepen- state. At this stage, the IPK's demand for ed of links with radical Middle Eastern orga- tourist hotel in Mombasa for which al-Q aci d a h a s dence to gain Muslim support, especially in recognition won wide support from Mus- nizations, on the grounds that they posed a claimed responsibility intensify these fears. Never- periods of municipal, parliamentary, and lims, both from the coastal strip and from threat to security. The Muslim community theless the vast majority of Kenyan Muslims are mod- presidential elections, when the political other parts of the country. In Mombasa, es- was enraged by the crackdown on the NGOs erate, reject violent extremism, and work to achieve importance of the Muslims is especially no- pecially, IPK supporters became the main and leaders of all persuasions condemned equal rights by peaceful means. ticeable. Among these concessions were: political force and the government's refusal the government action. They claimed that, making the Muslim festival of Id al-Fitr a na- to recognize the party caused violent distur- by shutting down only Muslim NGOs imme- Kenya's six million Muslims form a signifi- tional public holiday in Kenya; enshrining bances there in May 1992. This was the first diately after the bombing, the government cant minority, representing 20 per cent of the position of chief q a d i in the constitution of a series of clashes between IPK activists had put the onus of responsibility on the the population. Their large number, com- (the chief q a d i is the highest Muslim reli- and government forces that continued spo- Muslim community. President Moi met with bined with the fact that most of them are gious official in Kenya and he serves as the radically for nearly two years. SUPKEM leaders and made some conciliato- concentrated in economically and strategi- government's adviser in all matters pertain- The outbreak of violence reflected Muslim ry gestures to the Muslims, but radical Mus- cally important areas, gives the Muslims, at ing to Muslims); deciding on issues connect- grievances and deep feelings of discrimina- lims continued to criticize the government least potentially, considerable political ed to inheritance, marriage, divorce, and tion. During the colonial era and since inde- and attacked the West in general and the US weight. On the coastal strip and in the w a q f (endowment set aside for religious pendence, Muslims have repeatedly com- in particular. This division between moder- towns there, such as Mombasa, Malindi, and purposes) in the s h a r ica courts by q a d is ap- plained that the mainly Christian regime ates and radical, as well as ethnic, religious, Lamu, Muslims account for more than 50 pointed by the chief q a d i; and taking into discriminates against them and treats them political, and personal rivalries within the per cent of the population. On this strip live account Muslim values and practices in as second-class citizens. For example, they Muslim community, weaken them in their the Swahilis (all of whom are Muslims), areas such as animal slaughter, autopsies, are normally under-represented in public confrontation with the regime. Arabs, and people from various African eth- dress, and identity cards. institutions. Before colonialism they were It is likely that Islam as a religion will fur- nic groups that have adopted Islam. Anoth- the most culturally advanced group and ther expand and gain strength in Kenya. In er important group of Muslims in Kenya are Mutual suspicions were the rulers of Kenya's coastal region, its non-extremist form, it may well assume a the Somalis, who live in the Northeastern Muslim aspirations were not, however, whereas today Muslims are less advanced greater political role in the light of the polit- Province. Their number is estimated at fully satisfied, nor were their many com- than the Christians and lag behind in educa- ical progress Muslims are making in the field about 600,000. There are also considerable plaints about discrimination silenced. Mus- tion. They have been denied land owner- of education and the increasing numbers of numbers of Muslims in the large towns, in- lim discontent was particularly evident on ship, while Christians from the interior have Muslim intellectuals, journalists, and politi- cluding Nairobi. Among Kenya's Muslims the eve of the first multiparty elections in been given land on the coastal strip and cians. The prolonged struggle against gov- there are various groups and denomina- 1992. At the same time, government suspi- control the main sources of income there, ernment policies has fostered Muslim soli- tions. Due to the fact that Islamic penetra- cions of Muslim aspirations, rooted in both especially tourism. darity and self-consciousness, even among tion into the area came primarily from historical and recent events, also intensified. Against this background of Muslim dissat- non-observant Muslims. The majority of Hadramaut, to the south of the Arabian The government's suspicions were first isfaction, a young shaikh, Khalid Balala, ap- Muslims are moderate, tolerant, and prag- Peninsula, and was spread by Sunni S h a f ici aroused by political developments on the peared on the scene and became the main matic and know that the government will shaikhs, the great majority of Kenya's Mus- eve of Kenyan independence when Muslims exponent of Islamic extremism in Kenya dur- never tolerate secession. The Kenyan gov- lims are Sunni of the S h a f ici s c h o o l . on the coast set up an organization called the ing the violent disturbances of 1992Ð1994. ernment, for its part, needs to be more un- The Kenyan government, like the govern- Mwambao United Front (MUF) (Mwambao Balala demanded the legalization of the IPK, derstanding and responsive to justified ments of Uganda, Tanzania, and most means 'coast' in Kiswahili). The MUF claimed stressing that in Islam there is no separation Muslim grievances, to provide Muslims with African countries, prohibits the formation of that the Muslim inhabitants of the coast were of religion and state and that politics is part equal opportunities, and make greater ef- political parties based on religion. There- a 'distinct social group' and should be grant- of religion. Initially he enjoyed wide Muslim forts to integrate them into government fore, religious leaders Ð Muslim and Christ- ed autonomy or the option of seceding from support and became the uncrowned head and public life. ian alike Ð set up 'religious' or 'social' organi- Kenya to establish a separate state or 'rejoin' and spokesman of the IPK, which became zations through which they can express Zanzibar. In 1963, when Kenya became inde- much more radical under his leadership. His their views. Since independence, many such pendent, the coastal population's hopes for supporters, especially the youth, and some Muslim organizations have come and gone. separation or autonomy vanished, although extremist elements began to clash with the Some of them were regional or sectional, they have re-emerged from time to time in security forces. Balala publicly demanded others nationwide. They are supposed to different forms and have aroused displeasure that President Moi's regime be overthrown, deal with educational, religious, and social and fear in the government. Likewise, the So- and accused him of despotism and corrup- matters. Nevertheless, these organizations mali Muslims in the Northeastern Province tion. He also called on Muslims to be strict in have frequently become involved in politi- desired to join Somalia with which they had observing Islamic practices, especially daily cal concerns. The authorities in Kenya, like ethnic, linguistic, social, and religious affini- prayers. He demanded that the s h a r ica l a w those in Uganda and Tanzania, have them- ties. After the British decided to include this be applied in all spheres of Muslim life. Bal- selves established Muslim umbrella organi- area in independent Kenya, the Somalis boy- ala advocated violence to achieve these zations and worked through them to obtain cotted the 1963 general elections that set the aims. Muslim support and to influence and super- stage for independence. Thereafter, for sev- The wave of violence in Mombasa sur- vise their activities. Many of the key posi- eral years there was unrest, and violent clash- prised and concerned the authorities and tions in these organizations are occupied by es occurred between Somali guerrillas, reawakened the deep suspicions dating Muslims who support the government, known as Shifta, and the Kenyan security from the attempts by the Muslim coastal among them assistant ministers and senior f o r c e s . strip to break away from Kenya at indepen- government or ruling-party officials.

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