Muslim leaders differ over agreement signed with Raila

By Patrick Beja and Willis Oketch

Prime Minister Raila Odinga moved to appease Mombasa County residents, barely two days after sacking Mvita MP Najib Balala from the Cabinet.

Raila told residents that the region had not lost the ministerial flag.

"The ministerial flag is still here. There is no cause for alarm over the issue," Raila said.

And locals leaders refuted claims that the PM had reneged on a Memorandum of Understanding with Muslims, saying Cabinet appointments was not among issues agreed on.

Coast Muslim leaders dismissed claims by a section of Imams that Raila had breached an agreement signed in 2007 with the Muslim community when he sacked Mr Balala from the Cabinet.

Kisauni MP Hassan Joho said the agreement involved the nomination of Muslims as MPs.

"I challenge the Imams to declare fatwa against Muslim MPs from the Coast if they are not telling the truth. The sacking of Balala was political and not a religious affair," Joho said.

Council of Imams and Preachers of Kenya (CIPK) South Coast chairman Sheikh Hamisi Banda said Raila did not breach the agreement.

Banda said he was part of those who signed the agreement and it did not involve the appointment of Balala to the Cabinet, as it was purely a political arrangement.

"This was a political deal and had nothing to do with the appointment of Balala to the Cabinet. The deal was about nomination of Muslims as MPs and councillors, which the PM honoured to the letter," Banda said.

CIPK Secretary General Mohamed Dor was nominated ODM MP under the deal.

Banda appeared to contradict his council whose leaders have protested the sacking of the Mvita MP.

CIPK officials Sheikh Mohamed Khalifa and Sheikh Hassan Omar claimed the National Muslim Leaders Forum signed the MoU with Raila and he breached the agreement when he sacked Balala.

rogue player

Likoni MP Masoud Mwahima and Mugirango South MP Manson Nyamweya also addressed the meeting.

A section of Coast leaders protested at the appointment of Voi MP Daniel Mwazo from Taita Taveta County arguing that the ministerial flag should have been given to an MP from Mombasa County.

Raila spoke when he formally launched the urban food subsidy cash transfer programme at Tononoka grounds in Mombasa.

On Wednesday, leaders petitioned Raila to return the ministerial flag to Mombasa County.

Mombasa County ODM Chairman and Changamwe MP Ramadhan Kajembe said Mombasa people were not opposed to the appointment of Mr Mwazo as Tourism Minister, but were not happy with the loss of the ministerial flag and want it back.

"We want the flag to be given to the county through any of the MPs and not necessarily me. Mombasa is the heart of Coast Province and deserves to have a ministerial flag," Mr Kajembe said.

Joho also concurred with Kajembe and asked Raila to find a way of rewarding the county.

"I want to associate myself with the sentiments of my colleagues. As a county, we want our flag back," said the Transport Assistant Minister.

Msambweni MP Omar Zonga and Gender Minister and Taveta MP Naomi Shaban also asked Raila to return the ministerial flag to Mombasa.

Raila said he sacked Balala after he betrayed the party several times and behaved like a rogue player who scored his own goal instead of fighting it out with the rival side.

"He asked for divorce thrice and I had to accept his wish. How could the party retain him when he was scoring against his own team instead of helping it win the match," Raila asked.