Nairobi, Kenya - A fight broke out at a Mombasa mosque over a preacher suspected to be behind the recruitment of local youths to the al Shabaab militia group.
The tussle started after the evening prayers on Tuesday when some faithful tried to block the preacher from delivering a sermon. But another group insisted that the Imam should preach.
In the melee, a journalist with a local television station was injured and lost his camera, mobile phone and shoes.
"We don't want to hear any more sermons in this mosque," one faithful shouted before a youth pounced on him and dragged him outside.
Arguments outside
Arguments outside the mosque degenerated into an all-out fight between the two groups.
A tuk-tuk driver rescued the journalist from the mob and took him to the Makupa Police Station.
"They shouted at me, asking me who sent me to the mosque. They kicked me everywhere. I survived death by a whisker," the journalist said at the police station.
The tuk-tuk driver said: "I thought they were beating a thief, but on learning he was a journalist, I moved to rescue him. It was bad."
The group that opposed the preacher asked the government to take stern action against the Imam, who they blamed for the woes of six youths due to be arraigned in court on Friday to face terrorism charges.
"He is recruiting terrorists within our neighbourhood. Now our youth are languishing in police cells," one man said.
Coast provincial police boss Leo Nyongesa said that all those who were involved in the mosque fracas will be arrested and charged.