Somali Kenyans targeted after car explosion

[Coeus]

The Kenyan Police has arrested more than 400 Somalis in the capital Nairobi in the last 5 days following a car explosion last Friday. The blast killed a police officer and wounded another. Kenyan Somalis feel the police force is targeting them.

“I was parking my car in front of my house. A group of policemen with guns came and arrested me without giving me an explanation. All they said was that as long as I am a Somali, I am a suspect.”

23-year old Alas Issa is a taxi driver in Eastleigh, a Nairobi suburb predominantly inhabited by Somalis - both refugees from Somalia and Kenyans of Somali origin.

He was arrested on Monday night as he came home from work. What followed was more than 16 hours under the watch of criminal investigations Department (CID).

University students arrested
“They pushed me into a truck that was full to the brim. They first took us to the Pangani police station where we joined others who were also arrested. Then we were taken to the Criminal investigation department. They took our finger prints and despite showing them our national identity cards and drivers license they denied us freedom.”

Alas says among those arrested were university students of Somali origin: “There were two guys. One of the University of Nairobi and the other one of Kenyatta University. They flashed their student cards as well as their national identity card but one of the police men said they were fake. I am so annoyed but I still love this country.”

Alas and a few others were released from the custody on Tuesday afternoon. He still feels like an alien in Kenya. “I am a Kenyan. Why subject me to this kind of treatment? I have never committed a crime of any kind, let alone an explosion. It has become the norm that they arrest only Somalis, even if we haven’t committed a crime.”

FBI assistance
The arrests follow a security meeting held in Nairobi on Sunday to map out ways of fighting the soaring crime in the city. The meeting was convened by police commissioner Mathew Iteere. The police chief called for help from the Federal Investigations Bureau (FBI).

“We wish to send a strong warning to the criminals. Attacking innocent officers on duty will not be tolerated. We do not think it’s the militia group Al Shabaab is responsible. That is why we are asking the FBI to assist us,” he said.

Police earlier suspected the hand grenade may have been hurled at a land rover. However a report by two teams of investigators that was handed over to the police commissioner yesterday said the hand grenade was tucked under the passenger’s seat of the white land rover.

The man hunt for the assailants continues but Somali’s like Alas Issa say they have nothing to do with the blast.