From: Gordon Teti

Muslims will punish Kenyan president at vote , Jeremy Clarke; forwarded

Fri 2 Nov 2007, 11:11 GMT
By Jeremy Clarke
 
MOMBASA, Kenya (Reuters) -
Angered by failed promises and harassment in anti-terrorism operations, Kenya's Muslim community will largely vote against President Mwai Kibaki in a December election, a prominent Islamic leader said on Friday.

Accounting for up to a fifth of Kenya's 36 million population, both Kibaki and opposition front-runner Raila Odinga have been wooing the Muslim vote ahead of a December 27 presidential vote that may be the east African nation's closest ever.

Analysts say the Islamic community is so far leaning towards Odinga, and Sheikh Muhammad Dor, secretary-general of the Imams and Preachers of Kenya group, agreed.

He predicted a near-block vote to punish Kibaki.

"We are going all out. I can guarantee a minimum of 75 percent of us will vote against the current government," the grey-bearded Dor told Reuters over coffee in the coastal port of Mombasa as various locals approached to receive his blessing.

Dor, who is also a director of the National Muslim Leaders Forum grouping 40 organisations and sits on the board of the Muslim Human Rights Forum, recalled that Kenyan Muslims helped kick out a previous government in the last election.

"We helped end the long rule of KANU and we saw the power of our vote," he said of the defeat for the Kenya African National Union of former President Daniel arap Moi.

"This government has cheated Kenyans throughout...Kibaki promised to give opportunities to marginalized groups. Instead, he has been the worst when it comes to giving jobs to just one ethnic group -- the Kikuyu," he said, naming Kibaki's tribe.

"He did not deliver the constitution, did not create the 500,000 jobs per year he promised. There is no zero tolerance on corruption and, in the 'war on terror', Muslims have faced widespread persecution and in some cases, illegal rendition to other countries."

Since the ouster of a powerful Islamist movement in neighbouring Somalia, and a manhunt for their fighters, Kenyan Muslims have complained of increased harassment and arrests including illegal transport to regional power Ethiopia.
Addis Ababa is the main U.S. ally in the region.

Dor said Kibaki's efforts to get Muslims on his side, including hosting a recent celebration to mark the end of Ramadan, were too little too late.

"We are 100 percent going to punish this government so it does not get a second term. With us against him (Kibaki), it is going to be very difficult for him to win in December."

Odinga is currently ahead in most polls, by about 10 percentage points.

Dor, who has been campaigning for Muslim rights up and down the Kenyan coast in recent weeks, said Odinga's Orange Democratic Movement (ODM) had recently signed a memorandum of understanding with the national Muslim leaders forum.

"We have decided to work with ODM because its manifesto is very close to what we are looking for -- marginalized groups are respected," he added.

Kibaki's government rejects accusations of persecuting Muslims, saying it has done far more to bring them into the mainstream and help development in their communities than previous Kenyan governments.