Identifier
Created
Classification
Origin
05NAIROBI4409
2005-10-25 02:43:00
CONFIDENTIAL
Embassy Nairobi
Cable title:  

MOMBASA MUSLIMS SEE ORANGE

Tags:  PREL PTER ASEC EAID PGOV PINS KISL KE 
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This record is a partial extract of the original cable. The full text of the original cable is not available.
C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 03 NAIROBI 004409 

SIPDIS

E.O. 12958: DECL: 10/19/2025
TAGS: PREL PTER ASEC EAID PGOV PINS KISL KE
SUBJECT: MOMBASA MUSLIMS SEE ORANGE

REF: A. REF A) NAIROBI 04080

B. REF B) NAIROBI 01699

C. REF C) NAIROBI 02639

D. REF D) NAIROBI 02409

Classified By: Michael J. Fitzpatrick, reasons 1.4 (b,d)

C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 03 NAIROBI 004409

SIPDIS

E.O. 12958: DECL: 10/19/2025
TAGS: PREL PTER ASEC EAID PGOV PINS KISL KE
SUBJECT: MOMBASA MUSLIMS SEE ORANGE

REF: A. REF A) NAIROBI 04080

B. REF B) NAIROBI 01699

C. REF C) NAIROBI 02639

D. REF D) NAIROBI 02409

Classified By: Michael J. Fitzpatrick, reasons 1.4 (b,d)


1. (C) SUMMARY: The vast majority of Muslims in Mombasa
actively support the &ORANGE8 campaign for a "no" (or,
"ORANGE") vote in November's referendum on the proposed new
Kenyan constitution. While most Muslim leaders rally around
contentious issues such as devolution of power and Khadis
courts, the underlying sentiment is that the government in
Nairobi continues to marginalize the Coast, and Muslims in
particular, and therefore are not deserving of a "yes"
("Banana") vote for a constitution that serves to legitimize
their hold on power. Mombasa youth groups are particularly
active and well-versed in the debates and are pushing for a
no-vote. One youth group leader also provided interesting
insights on the terror threat in Kenya and the inability of
the government to combat terrorism on the Coast. END SUMMARY.


2. (C) Poloff and visiting INR analyst met with Muslim
religious and community leaders in Mombasa September 27 to 29
to discuss political and social issues affecting Mombasa
Muslims. The Constitution dominated all conversations, with
most using the debate as another forum to illustrate what
they perceive as the central government,s deliberate
marginalization of the Coast.

--------------
Imams Advocating ORANGE
--------------


3. (C) Muslim religious leaders in Mombasa are clearly in
the ORANGE camp, even though most say they are not taking
sides. Mombasa District Chairman for the Supreme Council of
Kenya Muslims (SUPKEM),Sheikh Juma Ngao, told Poloff he is
not taking a stance publicly because he believes Imams should
remain neutral. He then proceeded to give a laundry list of
reasons why the Constitution is &20 percent poison8. He
listed the main contentious issues as land redistribution,
devolution of presidential powers, Coast resources being put

back in the hands of Coast residents, and the Khadis courts.
(NOTE: Khadis courts are Islamic courts that, with consent of
the parties, handle civil matters such as marriage, divorce
and inheritance. They have been legal in Kenya since before
independence. Criminal cases are still handled by public
courts. END NOTE.) (COMMENT: The Khadis courts is a prime
example of the failure of civic education in certain parts of
the country. While the draft new Constitution actually
allows for Khadis courts -- with some potential new
restrictions -- most Muslims on the Coast told Poloff they
are outraged that the government wants to "outlaw" Khadis
courts. This disconnect may stem from the initial debates
preceding the final publication of the draft over whether or
not to allow for Khadis courts, but apparently the accurate
information has not reached many Coast Muslims. END
COMMENT).


4. (C) Sheikh Ngao said that although the constitutional
debate is causing some minor rifts in the Muslim community,
he has no doubt that the ORANGE camp will win, as there are
very few Banana (Yes camp) supporters on the Coast. Ngao said
he will advise the government to postpone the referendum
until the contentious issues are worked out. (COMMENT: Ngao
alone does not have the political sway to influence the GOK
on any referendum issues. Even if he were to join with other
Imams from the Coast, they alone do not hold enough clout to
convince the GOK to slow down the process. END COMMENT).


5. (C) Council of Imams and Preachers of Kenya (CIPK)
Secretary General, Sheikh Muhammad Dormuhammad, expressed

SIPDIS
many of the same concerns. He went further, saying he fears
&something bad8 will happen during the referendum, but
continues to pray for peace. He accused the government of
buying votes and asserted that the elections will be rigged.
He stated the Kikuyu (the President's up-country tribe) are
the only ones who want this new constitution. Despite all
his complaints, Dormuhammad did not give one concrete example
of a contentious issue or make any educated references to the
draft. He also asked why the U.S. Embassy is not taking a
public stance on the referendum. (NOTE: Ironically, that same
day Ambassador and 26 other diplomatic missions issued a
press statement calling for a violence-free and fair
referendum (ref A). END NOTE). (COMMENT: Many moderate
Muslims tell Poloff that Dormuhammad is mostly a noisemaker,
and some say he and the CIPK do not have much influence. It
is difficult to gauge just how extensive CIPK,s following
is, but it was clear that Dormuhammad was more interested in
criticizing the government and making noise publicly than
actually reading the draft and putting forward constructive
criticism. END COMMENT.)

--------------
Youth Groups Taking Initiative
--------------


6. (U) Mombasa youth group leaders were best versed on the
draft constitution, and they were eager to discuss the issues
at length with Poloff. The number one message that
reverberated across the different groups was simple: &The
Government does not do for us; so we do for ourselves.8 This
is a message the youth, and even many older community leaders
have put forward for sometime now, and the constitution is
just one more example of this in their eyes. Several youth
leaders were remarkably well-versed on the draft, displaying
detailed knowledge of the different sections and how they
differ from the current constitution. Devolution of power
was the overarching sticking point. Surprisingly, despite
having clearly read or at least learned about the points in
the draft, youth leaders still complained about the Khadis
courts as if the draft outlawed their use. Several
articulate, intelligent group leaders said they will not
waste their time voting, as they do not want to &vote for
nothing.8


7. (C) All the youth group leaders had ambitious plans to
help fill in the gaps left by what they view as deliberate
marginalization by the government in Nairobi. Youth groups
from Old Town, Likoni, Majengo and other parts of Mombasa all
advocated for increased education opportunities. In terms of
the constitution, they all plan to take an active role in
civic education, especially since they believe the government
will fail to reach out to most Coast residents. The number
one complaint about education is that there is no university
in Mombasa. (NOTE: Some investors from the Persian Gulf have
drafted plans to build Mombasa Islamic University. END NOTE).



8. (U) The other main issue that dominates Mombasa youth
leaders, current agenda is fighting illicit drug use. Old
Town Social and Welfare Association (OSWA),a youth group
based in Old Town Mombasa, is increasingly active in this
fight. When Poloff first met the group in April, they were
ambitious but did not yet have an office, a constitution or
many members (ref B). The group has made substantial progress
in six months. They now have an office in Old Town, a large
membership base, and have actively participated in civic
education campaigns and even cooperated with the police in a
drug bust at the end of September. OSWA and the other youth
groups Poloff met with have basically cast aside the
government and are doing what they can to make their
communities safer from drugs and crime and provide education
opportunities for youth of all ages.

--------------
And On Terrorism(
--------------


9. (C) As is usually the case when speaking to USG
officials, Muslim leaders took the opportunity to address
terrorism issues as well. Sheikh Dormuhammad spoke of the
terror suspects who were released in June (Refs C and D),
saying no evidence was presented linking them with the 2003
twin attacks in Mombasa and nearby Kikambala. He claimed no
Kenyan Muslims would kill innocents and accused Arabs of
being bad Muslims. Sheikh Ngao,s only comments were to
advise the U.S. to stop preaching to Iran about nuclear
weapons while allowing India, Pakistan and North Korea to
continue building their arsenal.


10. (C) In a sidebar conversation, one OSWA leader, Rustam,
spoke to INR analyst about the terrorist threat in Mombasa.
While he regarded the al-Qaida operatives themselves as
foreign "Arabs," Rustam indicated that youth in Mombasa are
very vulnerable to recruitment by al-Qaida and that he
believed recruitment is currently underway. He linked
recruitment to poverty and the overall marginalization of
Mombasa youth. He is convinced that at least two al-Qaida
operatives are still in the coastal area, although he is not
exactly sure where, claiming that they (NFI) recently lost
track of them. He claims he was near the Paradise Hotel
during the Kikambala attack and that he works with the
Anti-Terrorist Police Unit (ATPU) in Mombasa (he showed the
business card of his contact in ATPU). He was very critical
of CT efforts by the government, who he accused of sending
officers with little understanding of the coast who are
easily identified by locals, cannot recruit sources, resent
having to work in the coastal area and do not actually want
to be active and involved in such dangerous work. ATPU needs
to recruit people from the coast to work as officers in order
to really penetrate the extremists. He warned that the
threat on the coast was very real and believed another attack
would take place there.

--------------
BIO NOTES
--------------


11. (C) Sheikh Juma Ngao: Ngao is the Mombasa Chairman for
Supkem. He is in his early 30s. He is articulate,
intelligent and an excellent orator. He is well versed in
Islam and international politics. However, he is quite
arrogant and feels he holds a more influential position than
most believe he does. He clearly has political ambitions and
as such, seeks opportunities to &advise8 the government on
Coast and Muslim issues. He is very open to speaking with
American officials and is both friendly and chatty.


12. (C) Sheikh Muhammad Dormuhammad (aka Sheikh Dor):
Dormuhammad is the Secretary General of CIPK. Although
Dormuhammad would like to believe his group is the most
influential in the Muslim community, many moderate Muslims
downplay his following. He claims to speak for all Coast
Muslims. He is a good public speaker, but he is not as well
versed on actual issues of political significance as some of
his colleagues. He does not mince words and will openly tell
American officials why Muslims do not like the American
government. Many locals do not consider him a true Imam,
however, because he does not read Arabic well.
BELLAMY