CID boss: Government targeting madrassas

Criminal Investigations Director Ndegwa Muhoro now says the Government is investigating Islamic religious schools known as madrassas and not mosques.

Mr Muhoro said they would be targeting individual teachers of the schools alleged to be radicalising youths.

Muhoro's statement came after Muslim leaders took issue with an early announcement that said the Government would close down mosques suspected to be teaching 'radical Islam'. This attracted angry reactions from a section of leaders who criticised him.

"What we meant is that there are people who are radicalising youths and turning them into extremists in these institutions. Those are the people we are pursuing for questioning before we take further action," said Muhoro.

He said he had been misunderstood in his earlier statement regarding the anti-terror war and institutions linked to terrorism.

"We cannot close down mosques because we respect them as places of worship. What we closed in Machakos was a madrassa that had been under watch for some time for radicalising youths," he said.

Nairobi Senator Mike Sonko and his Mandera counterpart Billow Kerrow faulted the remarks and urged police to pick the alleged suspects and deal with them individually.

"They should work hard to get the radicals. We will support the security agencies to do their work," said Mr Sonko.

The Nairobi senator asked Ndegwa to invest heavily in intelligence gathering for them to be able to identify the terrorists and the alleged teachers.

Supporting the move to close down the madrassa in Machakos, Muhoro revealed that over 30 youths who had taken teachings at the madrassa were arrested while being recruited to join Al-Shabaab militants.

The CID chief said intelligence reports showed that fiery preachers are duping youths to join the terrorist organisation through radical teachings.

He cited the Coast region, Mombasa Road, Kayole and Komarock among the areas the Government believes are breeding gounds for terrorists. He said youths were being linked to the terrorists by prominent men said to be profiting from Al-Shabaab activities.

Muhoro revealed that the Government was investigating a school in Isiolo following reports that the institution was being used as a recruitment ground by the terrorist group.

He said the Government was in possession of information that the militia was planning to revive itself after being suppressed by security forces. He said many youths were being wooed to join such groups for monetary gain.