18 Clerics Capture on Way Home From EastLeigh

The pont of the following story is that 18 clerics were riding/hidden in a truck, heading east from Eastleigh enroute to Mombasa when they were arrested, based on a tip. North from Mombasa is the Best rout for returning to South East Somalia. Eastleigh, the place they came to "visit" is Shabaab's logistics base and a prime location for al Shabaab recruits heading into Somalia.

-Shimron Issachar

NAIROBI, Kenya, Jan. 3 (UPI) -- Kenyan authorities say they have arrested 18 Muslim preachers found hidden in a truck.

The preachers, detained Sunday en route from Nairobi to Mombasa, had passports, identity cards and voter cards to prove their Kenyan citizenship, police told the Daily Nation newspaper of Nairobi.

"But our main puzzle is in this age of good and comfortable means of transport why the preachers chose to be transported this way. This is what detectives are trying to establish," said Charles Kerich, police chief in Machakos.

Each had a Koran and other religious literature along with clothing in his bag.
Kerich said police stopped the truck at the Kyumbi station after receiving a tip and found the 18 inside. They were taken to the Machakos station and jailed.

One of the men, calling himself Mr. Mohammed, told the Nation they had come to Nairobi to attend a national gathering of preachers in Eastleigh.

"It is what in Christianity you call a crusade. In the Islamic world we call such gatherings Markaz Baabul," he said.

He said the truck driver offered to drive them to Mombasa for free.

The Rest @ UPI