Census Uproar ; Leaders dismiss alleged 4.3 million figure for Muslims

Muslim leaders have roundly dismissed the recently released national population and housing census results indicating that the total number of Muslims in the country comprise a mere 4.3 million.

They termed the figures released by planning minister Wycliffe Oparanya on Tuesday as ridiculous saying they did not reflect the true population of Muslims in the country.

According to the figures, Somalis make up 2.3 million while the combined Muslim population from other ethnic groups across the country comprise only two million. "This is ridiculous. The results do not reflect the true number of Muslims in the country," said Supreme Council of Kenya Muslims (SUPKEM) secretary general Adan Wachu.

He said previous demographic programmes indicated that the number of Muslims in the country is not less than 12 million. Wachu pointed to a comprehensive HIV/Aids Household survey conducted by SUPKEM five years ago which covered the whole country and revealed that the number of Muslims then was approximately 9 million.

"This survey covered almost all the households across the country and it is incomprehensible that the figures now indicate that Muslims are only 4.3 million," he told The Friday Bulletin.

The ridiculously low number for Muslims was aimed at stifling enough allocation of development resources to the community, he further said. Reacting to claims of exaggerated figures from North Eastern, Wachu said a recount will even provide higher figures that those presented.

"The overall population of Muslims in the country has increased dramatically over the years and they will be shocked by the high numbers," he said. Wachu read mischief in the delay of the results saying withholding the outcome for more than a year allowed for manipulation of the results.

He however, said such machinations will not dent the progress of Muslims in the country. "Whatever the numbers they impose on us, they should know that Muslims will continue to play their rightful role in the Kenyan society," he added.

The secretary general also took issue with the Kenya National Bureau of Statistics for presenting Somalis as Kenyan Somalis. "Somalis are not the only people living in border areas. Why only single out Somalis and not Maasais, Turkanas or Luhyas, this is discrimination," he said.

On his part, the SUPKEM director general Abdullatif Shaaban stressed that the population of Muslims was not 4.3 million. "Don't be cheated, we are more than 11 million," he said. Nominated MP Mohammed Affey also scoffed at the results saying they were manipulated and did not present the correct tally. "These numbers are questionable.

Can you imagine Muslims who are supposed to be more than 30 percent now being placed at only 10 percent?" he asked. He termed the figures disappointing saying that they did not provide the correct facts on the ground.

Bura MP Dr. Abdi Nuh took issue with the given low Muslim population and said that numbers given were far below the correct figures. "Going by the trends, the population of Muslims should be over 11 million," he said.

On his part, Sheikh Muhamad Dor who is also a Nominated MP said there was no point of announcing total figures for the country's population yet results of some areas had been cancelled. "They should just withdrawal the figures altogether," he said.

He said with the complaints from different communities which included Maasais, Coastal and Eastern region communities, there were inaccuracies with the census results and they will not be nationally acceptable to all the people of the country.

Leaders from Upper Eastern reacted with anger at the census figures accusing the government for grossly underestimating numbers in the mainly Muslim region.

Special Programmes Assistant minister Muhamoud Mohammed Ali called for a fresh count arguing that the results had gross inconsistencies.

While the numbers for religious groupings were not given during the last census in 1999, the estimated number of Muslims in the country was approximated to be 10 million out of the 28 million Kenyans.