NAIROBI, Kenya, Jan 6 – Controversial Jamaican Muslim cleric Abdullah al-Faisal who was deported from the country on Monday through Tanzania has been returned to Kenya after authorities in the neighbouring country declined to receive him, police sources said.
Police and Immigration officials who had escorted him to Tanzania were unable to get him through to the neighbouring country and had been staying with him at the border until Wednesday morning when they escorted him back to Nairobi.
“He was escorted back to Nairobi and is currently at the Jomo Kenyatta International Airport. We are pondering the next move,” a police source said.
Police Spokesman Erick Kiraithe who had confirmed Al-Failal’s deportation earlier on Tuesday was not immediately available for comment.
He had said “Al-Faisal is no longer in the country because we have deported him to Jamaica through Tanzania.”
A group of Muslim leaders led by Al-Amin Kimathi said they had spent the better part of Wednesday at the JKIA trying to seek audience with the cleric in vain.
“The police are totally violating Al-Faisal’s rights. They have unsuccessfully tried to deport him. All the countries have declined to receive him and now they are keeping him here at the airport,” he said.
“We have information that they are planning to deport him to an unknown country tomorrow morning (Thursday). We don’t understand why they are not allowing us to see him. We went with a lawyer ready to represent him but they have declined us access,” he added.
Al –Faisal was arrested on Thursday last week, shortly after attending prayers at a mosque in Mombasa.
Police and Immigration officials said at the time they arrested him for “violating Immigration regulations.”
He had been accused of engaging in preaching, contrary to immigration procedures which did not allow him to engage in such an activity.
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