Police in Mombasa disrupted Friday prayers organised by Supreme Council of Kenya Muslim for families of victims of enforced disappearance at Makadara Grounds in Mombasa town.
A contingent of police, led by Mombasa subcounty police commander Joseph Ongaya, cordoned off the area as early as 12 noon, dispersing the crowd that had already started gathering.
Despite the police officers standing ground that no prayers would take place, a handful of the Muslim faithful gained access to the grounds, following an intervention from the MP Abdulswamad Nassir.
The officers lobbed teargas to try and disperse the crowd.
Nassir and Haki Africa, a coast-based human rights organisation, confronted the officers for trying to provoke the crowd by throwing teargas canisters.
They managed to conduct the Friday Adhur prayers, with the police keeping close guard to ensure that nothing else took place aside from the prayers.
Addressing the media shortly after the prayers, Nassir condemned the police for their actions, saying that they had violated the people’s freedom of worship and assembly.
“Police officers cannot stop people from praying. You are allowed to pray wherever you want and this area (Makadara Grounds) has not been gazetted that civilians are not allowed access. Kenya is not a police state,” said Nassir.
Nassir called on the Muslim community to stand together to condemn increased human rights violation perpetrated by people said to be the police.
He further urged both Muslims and non-Muslims, especially the youth, to amplify their voices in condemning the vice as they are the most victims of enforced disappearances.
“We cannot allow this to go on and it is not as if we are inciting the people against the police,” he said.
Nassir said that people were now living in fear not knowing who is going to be next.
“Right now, in the country people, are living in fear. They have started with lawyers, tomorrow they might come for journalists, human rights defenders and even me. If I don’t speak for you, then who will?”
Khalid condemned the ongoing cases of enforced disappearances, faulting the actions of the police for derailing the efforts they have made as rights organisations in curbing radicalisation and violent extremism in the region.
“You cannot fight insecurity by violating the Constitution. You cannot improve security by abusing the laws and disrespecting human rights," Khalid said.
"Human rights and rule of law are integral ingredients of security provision everywhere in the world.”
He added that no one supports terrorism, but the fight against such a crime must respect human rights.
“As leaders, as organisations, we are working everyday to improve security, to deal with extremism, to deal with radicalisation, but your actions are doing the contrary,” he said.
This comes days after the Anti-Terror Police Unit on Tuesday released a list of five individuals suspected to be terror suspects.
The police placed a Sh10 million bounty on the head of each suspect.
One of them is Mohammed Abubakar Said alias Minshawary, 22, from Majengo in Mombasa.
His family however has denied the accusations levelled against their kin, saying that their son was a victim of enforced disappearance perpetrated by the police who have now branded him a terrorist.
Said was kidnapped by people said to be the police weeks ago with no one knowing of his whereabouts.
“We are begging the police to bring our kin safely back home. The recent statement from the police confirms that he was taken away by the security forces," Abdulrahman Zeid, a relative, said.
Immediately after the press briefing, the police started engaging the youth in running battles around the Makadara Grounds and in the streets leading to Old Town.
(edited by Amol Awuor)
