Kenya has a problem. A really big problem. And that is not good.
The arrest of Sheikh al-Faisal (more here) by Kenyan authorities on Christmas Eve and the subsequent protests have brought to light the presence of Kenyan's very own Salafist-jihadis. Al-Qaida has been operating there for at least two decades, and al-Shabaab must have fund-raising cells and wealthy and well-connected sympathizers among Kenya's enormous Somali expat and refugee community. However, the character and extent of Kenya's native Salafist-jihadi presence is unknown and ignored for the most part. However, the possibility of its spread must be considered a legitimate strategic threat in the region.
Kenya is sort of a strategic buffer stalling Shabaab-style Salafist-Jihadism's spread into Eastern, Sub-Saharan Africa. If that community of al-Faisal admirers grows, it could spread throughout the region, giving al-Qaida a future in a region they currently have no "present."
For the radicals' take on al-Faisal's arrest, start here:http://muslimsinkenya.wordpress.com/2010/01/09/protests-in-kenya-as-muslims-vent-anger-over-cleric’s-deportation/
http://muslimsinkenya.wordpress.com/2010/01/06/sh-abdullah-feisla-al-jamaiki-being-held-by-the-kenyan-police/
http://forums.islamicawakening.com/f18/shaikh-faisal-arrested-kenya-32079/
http://revolutionmuslim.com/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=2413:qpolice-seize-jamaican-muslim-clericq&catid=11:revolutionary-media&Itemid=15
