KENYA ARRESTS ACTIVIST AFTER RIOTS
Jan 19th, 2010 by admin
Kenyan authorities have arrested a prominent Muslim activist in connection with violent protests in Nairobi on Friday. Al-Amin Kimathi, chairman of Kenya’s Muslim Human Rights Forum, was formally charged today with incitement to violence, along with seven other suspects. Kenyan police clashed on Friday with Muslim groups demonstrating against the government’s attempts to deport a hard-line Jamaican cleric, Sheikh Abdullah al-Faisal. There are unconfirmed reports of five deaths. Following the violence Kenyan security forces detained around 300 Somalis, said to be illegal immigrants, amid fears that Somali Islamic rebels from al-Shabab were linked to the protests. The militant group has denied any involvement. Kenya expects to have Faisal deported to Jamaica by Wednesday.