Security explains raiding Sheikh Yunus Kamoga’s home over suspicious 'radicalisation centre'

Security have explained circumstances under which they raided the home of the head of Jumiat Dawatil Tabligh Al-Salafiya in Nakasero, Sheikh Yunus Kamoga in Tula, Kawempe Division, Kampala.

Sheikh Kamoga’s home was raided on Saturday by joint security teams of the Chieftancy of Military Intelligence(CMI) and Crime Intelligence leading to the arrest of some of his family members.

The raid has since raised concern from the Muslim cleric and other members of the public.

Addressing journalists on Monday, joint security spokesperson, Fred Enanga explained that the raid followed alarms raised by certain members of the public over “unlawful confinement” of some people at the home.

“During our investigation, we managed to end up in the home of Sheikh Yunus Kamoga in Kawempe. We continue to investigate the alleged unlawful confinement of youths and adults who were 32 in number found at Sheikh Kamoga’s home where they were secretly teaching them the Islamic sharia law,” Enanga said.

He explained that the raid followed a report by a mother to one Barrack Mukiibi , a student at St. Lawrence London College to police having got a call from the son about the confinement .

According to the police spokesperson, Mukiibi asked his mother to withdraw him from the training at Kawempe back to school which raised suspicion of the mother who in return reported the matter to police.

“The mother all along had not known that the father of her son, a one Twaha Mukiibi had instead of taking the child to St. Lawrence had taken him to this teaching centre which is unregistered and doesn’t have licence to operate.”

Enanga said on raiding the training center, 32 youths and other male adults were found being hidden at the facility which he said was secluded.

“The motive of the secret training restricted to male youths and adults inside an enclosed facility we found locked with six padlocks remains unknown. The place was restricted from neighbours and the male victims were being fed on a single meal in a day.”

He said police will record statements from the 32 victims found at the centre, Sheikh Kamoga, the administrators of the facility and all parents to the victims to help in establishing the motive behind the facility.

The police spokesperson however dismissed reports that they are targeting Muslims with such raids.

“We got complaints from parents who were concerned over the lives of their children and the fact that they were diverted from the main school calendar.”

Over the weekend, Sheikh Kamoga told journalists that whereas the raid happened while he was away, security should have refrained from portraying him as a lawbreaker in raiding the home.

“I have often said, and now, I repeat that we are law-abiding citizens. We have no power and we cannot defy when security wants us. We have been brutalized, but we have remained law-abiding citizens and we shall not change,” Kamoga said.