Interior Cabinet Secretary Kipchumba Murkomen has included the Muslim Brotherhood and Hizb-ur-Tahrir in Kenya’s terror groups.
The notice , gazetted on September 19, will become operational unless it is withdrawn by his office or reserved by the courts.
The move criminalises the provision of aid, assistance or taking part in activities associated with the two groups.
“These groups planned are alleged to be named groups for the purposes of section 3(3) of the Prevention of Terrorism Act,” the notice states in part.
The Muslim Brotherhood
The Muslim Brotherhood, founded in Egypt in 1928, is among the most influential Islamist groups in the world. It blends religion, social work and politics, often quoting governments to be ruled according to Islamic law.
While professing to be a reformist organization, it has long been condemned for disseminating extremism and inciting violence. It has been outlawed in several countries including Egypt, Saudi Arabia, Bahrain, Syria, Jordan, Russia and the United Arab Emirates. Kenya becomes the latest addition to this list.
Hizb-ur-Tahrir
Hizb-ur-Tahrir is another Islamist political party that has been advocating for the creation of an international Islamic caliphate.
Hizb-ur-Tahrir utilizes campaigns as well as social media to spread its ideology and criticize governments.
It is already banned in the United Kingdom and India, and Kenya has now joined to include it in the list of terrorists.
The move combines the growing outcry over how Kenya is handling extremist groups with the action guaranteed to be praised and criticized.