Kenyan Muslim leaders hit out at UN report

A section of Muslim leaders in Kenya have hit out on the United Nations following its report linking Cabinet Minister Najib Balala with the financing of the Al Shabaab islamist militia, which is active in neighbouring Somalia. The Pumwani Mosque officials said here Sunday that they want the United Nations to apologize to the Kenyan Tourism Minister, adding that the allegations were unfounded and meant to tarnish his name. Led by Pumwani mosque elder Maalim Hassan, they dismissed claims by the UN that the Pumwani mosque was the nerve centre of the militia group's activities. The report named Balala and Nominated Member of Parliament Amina Abdalla as some of the Kenyans funding the militia group activities. Balala has dismissed the report, saying that he does not approve the activities of the militia group. On Saturday, Balala confirmed donating some money for the Pumwani Mosque project, but said that was all the money was meant for. Balala is accusing the UN of not carrying out quality investigations before naming him in the list of Kenyans whose donations have been funneled to the Al Shabaab movement. According to the monitoring group's report to the UN Security Council, Balala's contribution given to the Pumwani Mosque reconstruction fund-raising event was deposited in a Habib Bank account, operated by Al Shabaab's point man in Nairobi, Ahmad Imam, and other Muslim youth centre members. Balala says the UN failed in its investigations since no one ever quizzed him about that particular contribution towards the Pumwani Mosque project. He has vowed to continue supporting Muslim projects and accused the UN of trying to intimidate leaders from extending their support to Somali Muslims. The Al Shabaab militia group has been linked to the al Qaeda terror network and has been battling the African Union-backed Transitional Federal Government (TFG) of Somalia for control.