Balala refutes claims linking him to Al shabaab

By PHILIP MWAKIO

Tourism Minister Najib Balala has denied allegations linking him to the dreaded Somalia militia, Al Shabaab.

He has also vowed to seek legal redress against a UN report implicating him in a financing deal.

Addressing the media at his Mvita constituency during a medical camp, Balala said he had directed his legal team to look into the report and advice him on the way forward.

" I am a national figure and always easily accessible. Those who wrote the report ought to have contacted me to get my view before going public,’’ he said.

The report of the UN monitoring group on Somalia and Eritrea prepared for the Security Council said that it has no evidence to suggest that Balala knew the money would be used to fund Al Shabaab activities.

Riyadha Mosque in Majengo, Nairobi under construction which a recent UN Monitoring unit linked it to supporting the Al-shabaab adherents in Somalia. [PHOTO: COLLINS KWEYU/STANDARD]

His alleged link to Al Shabab emanated from reports that the minister together with a nominated MP, Amina Abdalah attended a funds drive in aid of Riyadha mosque in Pumwani, Nairobi, where he made his donation.

"I attended the funds drive in aid of the mosque, one of the oldest as a Muslim,’’ said Balala.

He added that the organisers of the funds drive notified him that the Sh200, 000, which he donated in two installments, was duly banked at an account for the mosque renovation at Habib Bank.

"Even the names of people with direct links to the militia group who are reported to be in charge of the monies collected are foreign to me. I only knew the organisers through the chairman of the mosque Abdalah Ndope,’’ said Balala.

Key issues

The minister said the UN had failed to address key issues in Somalia including peace, piracy and the famine ravaging the country.

"They are trying to divert their attention away from real issues and label us as sympathisers of terrorism related activities,’’ he said.

Balala further said the funds drive at the mosque was not a secretive affair as a local daily run paid up adverts announcing the drive.

"If it had any shady deals, security apparatus would have acted fast and prevented it from being held on Kenyan soil,’’ he said.

He reiterated that he is a law-abiding citizen and has been in the forefront in speaking out against the recruitment of Kenyan youth to the militia.

He added that he will not be intimidated in anyway to help worthy and genuine Islamic projects aimed at improving the welfare of Muslims and Kenyans as a whole.