“The suspected terrorist” – a missionary moment

I live in Nairobi and know many missionaries coming and going. One friend, who went up to work with the Muslims in Uganda, came back into Kenya carrying a Muslim kofia (hat), a kanzu (gown) and a Qu’ran that he had used in his work. The Kenyan police are suspicious of Islamic extremists, and promptly arrested him. My friend called me in a panic, because we both had heard stories of suspected terrorists who disappeared after being arrested. I knew we had to act fast.

I had an acquaintance, from university days, who had joined a high-level intelligence agency in Kenya, and I managed to get him on the phone. He said that if the man had been booked in at the station, then he would be safe and on the records. If, however, there was no paper trail, then it could be a problem. I managed to get the missionary on the phone and found out that he had been processed. We were so relieved – his missionary work had only landed him in jail, not in a hole somewhere. He was later released and (went back to his work among Muslims).