When Keya Kazungu made a return visit to his hometown in Kwale County
for the Christmas holiday, he observed an extraordinary change.
In January 2011 when he left to study at the University of Nairobi,
he said neighbourhood youth from various religions mingled freely,
chatting the evening away. On his return, however, Kazungu, 25, said he
noticed that his friends huddled according to their religious
affiliations.
Unaware of the prevalent religious tensions, Kazungu, a Christian, said he joined a group of his Muslim friends.
"I was excited to see them since we had not seen each other for nearly two years," Kazungu told Sabahi. "I expected them to be happy too, however, my friends were indifferent. In a matter of minutes the group dispersed to another different spot."
Hassan Mwalulu, 24, a Muslim resident of Kwale, confirmed that social activities have been affected by religious tensions in the area.
"Youths who used to play together irrespective of their religion are now going different ways," he told Sabahi.
"Local football clubs are being formed along religious lines," he said, adding that a few months ago local sports competitions became hotbeds of religious and sectarian stereotypes.
"It is common to hear a team saying that 'we will show these Christians how football is played' or 'we will outscore these Muslims,'" he said. "Games like football are known to transcend many things including religion, but not in Kwale."
To reverse the trend, informal groups and individuals are promoting interfaith activities in the county, Mwalulu said.
"They organise bi-weekly cleaning exercise of the town and [football] tournaments where players from different faiths mix to form a team," he said, adding that the initiatives are slowly bearing fruit as the tension thaws.
In addition, he said, youth meet in various forums to discuss issues affecting the county and how best they can be tackled.
"We have lived together for [too] long to allow some issues to tear us apart," he said. "I have Christian friends who I invite over for cups of tea and snacks in my home or local eateries. They similarly reciprocate. These religious tensions are a passing cloud. We are committed to restore the brotherhood."
Khalid said the government can reduce religious tensions by investigating and prosecuting suspects behind the killings of two Catholic priests and seven Muslim clerics in the Coast region since 2012.
Lack of prosecutions has put pressure on the two religions, whose followers have grown suspicious of one another as a result, Khalid told Sabahi.
"We suspect that the security forces are behind the killings of people suspected to have links with terrorists but they are creating more problems for the communities who have lived side by side for years," he said.
Kwale County Commissioner Evans Achoki denied allegations that the government was behind extrajudicial killings of terror suspects.
"We are equally astounded by the killings but investigations are ongoing," he told Sabahi. "We are not leaving anything to chance. Some of the terrorists could also be targeting clerics in a bid to spark religious tensions."
Coast Interfaith Council of Clerics Chairman Father Wilybard Lagho acknowledged there was a growing disconnect and intolerance between the faiths.
The relationship between Muslims and Christians in the Coast region has been shaken, he told Sabahi.
The key to weeding out religious intolerance is to continue exhibiting unity among religious leaders, he said, adding that clerics from both faiths are doing everything to improve relations.
Besides working separately with their own communities, collaborations between Muslims and Christians include appearing together in town hall meetings and on the road to preach peace and unity, Lagho said.
"We are not underestimating the level of intolerance, but together with Muslim clerics we are appealing for calm and tolerance with our respective faithful. We are hopeful that the religious intolerance will not degenerate into sectarian violence," Lagho said.
Lagho said Christians are encouraged to mingle and do business with Muslims.
Chairman of the Kenya Muslim National Advisory Council Sheikh Juma Ngao said Muslim clerics would continue to advocate non-violent ways of solving issues.
"Both religions need each other for prosperity of the region and the country in general," he told Sabahi. "There are channels that need to be exhausted … No matter how much one is aggrieved, it is not right to take it out on a person of different faith."
Ngao said imams from several mosques have agreed to emphasise the topic of unity and tolerance during their sermons.
"It is peaceful co-existence that has brought the country this far and we are committed to sustaining it," he said.
-
Christian and Muslim residents of Kwale have organised joint efforts to calm interfaith tensions in the area, including this street cleaning operation on December 13th. [Bosire Boniface/Sabahi]
![Christian and Muslim residents of Kwale have organised joint efforts to calm interfaith tensions in the area, including this street cleaning operation on December 13th. [Bosire Boniface/Sabahi]](http://sabahionline.com/shared/images/2014/01/31/kenya-interfaith-tension.jpg)
Unaware of the prevalent religious tensions, Kazungu, a Christian, said he joined a group of his Muslim friends.
"I was excited to see them since we had not seen each other for nearly two years," Kazungu told Sabahi. "I expected them to be happy too, however, my friends were indifferent. In a matter of minutes the group dispersed to another different spot."
Hassan Mwalulu, 24, a Muslim resident of Kwale, confirmed that social activities have been affected by religious tensions in the area.
"Youths who used to play together irrespective of their religion are now going different ways," he told Sabahi.
"Local football clubs are being formed along religious lines," he said, adding that a few months ago local sports competitions became hotbeds of religious and sectarian stereotypes.
"It is common to hear a team saying that 'we will show these Christians how football is played' or 'we will outscore these Muslims,'" he said. "Games like football are known to transcend many things including religion, but not in Kwale."
To reverse the trend, informal groups and individuals are promoting interfaith activities in the county, Mwalulu said.
"They organise bi-weekly cleaning exercise of the town and [football] tournaments where players from different faiths mix to form a team," he said, adding that the initiatives are slowly bearing fruit as the tension thaws.
In addition, he said, youth meet in various forums to discuss issues affecting the county and how best they can be tackled.
"We have lived together for [too] long to allow some issues to tear us apart," he said. "I have Christian friends who I invite over for cups of tea and snacks in my home or local eateries. They similarly reciprocate. These religious tensions are a passing cloud. We are committed to restore the brotherhood."
Killings of clerics straining relationships
Hussein Khalid, executive director of Haki Africa, a non-governmental organisation that advocates social and economic rights for all Kenyans, told Sabahi that the unresolved killings of Muslim and Christian clerics was straining relationships.Khalid said the government can reduce religious tensions by investigating and prosecuting suspects behind the killings of two Catholic priests and seven Muslim clerics in the Coast region since 2012.
Lack of prosecutions has put pressure on the two religions, whose followers have grown suspicious of one another as a result, Khalid told Sabahi.
"We suspect that the security forces are behind the killings of people suspected to have links with terrorists but they are creating more problems for the communities who have lived side by side for years," he said.
Kwale County Commissioner Evans Achoki denied allegations that the government was behind extrajudicial killings of terror suspects.
"We are equally astounded by the killings but investigations are ongoing," he told Sabahi. "We are not leaving anything to chance. Some of the terrorists could also be targeting clerics in a bid to spark religious tensions."
Coast Interfaith Council of Clerics Chairman Father Wilybard Lagho acknowledged there was a growing disconnect and intolerance between the faiths.
The relationship between Muslims and Christians in the Coast region has been shaken, he told Sabahi.
The key to weeding out religious intolerance is to continue exhibiting unity among religious leaders, he said, adding that clerics from both faiths are doing everything to improve relations.
Besides working separately with their own communities, collaborations between Muslims and Christians include appearing together in town hall meetings and on the road to preach peace and unity, Lagho said.
"We are not underestimating the level of intolerance, but together with Muslim clerics we are appealing for calm and tolerance with our respective faithful. We are hopeful that the religious intolerance will not degenerate into sectarian violence," Lagho said.
Lagho said Christians are encouraged to mingle and do business with Muslims.
Chairman of the Kenya Muslim National Advisory Council Sheikh Juma Ngao said Muslim clerics would continue to advocate non-violent ways of solving issues.
"Both religions need each other for prosperity of the region and the country in general," he told Sabahi. "There are channels that need to be exhausted … No matter how much one is aggrieved, it is not right to take it out on a person of different faith."
Ngao said imams from several mosques have agreed to emphasise the topic of unity and tolerance during their sermons.
"It is peaceful co-existence that has brought the country this far and we are committed to sustaining it," he said.
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In the Spotlight
Somalis decry al-Shabaab's use of child suicide bombers
![People walk past the bodies of seven al-Shabaab members killed in front of Villa Somalia, after two suicide car bombers detonated at the gate of the compound February 21, 2014. Security forces fought a fierce gun battle with the attackers, all young men or teenagers who appeared to be disguised in police uniforms. [Mohamed Abdiwahab/AFP]](https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/blogger_img_proxy/AEn0k_u5IMGwsEOYWIqrIfdNsGxX7fuglho20z34T6r5nYckEQGp7JWUDjl5p0eJ0RXdaGjPVtQFKbvdOBfKOwN0ljYItu4Gbv9ArOtsvbnClSUUDyrywfUJwh7Cp7KahotL2H5IdBmwjdPNnUJpdh_gWKh69XF_=s0-d)
In
the wake of the Villa Somalia attack, al-Shabaab published pictures of
gun-toting boys in an apparent attempt to boost support for the group,
but the images are having the opposite effect.
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