This archive report was first published on 23 October 2021.
May 2021 saw a peaceful scene at the Jamia mosque in Nairobi, but in Nakuru, a different story was unfolding. A leadership dispute within the Muslim Association of Nakuru (MAN) had been brewing, and it was about to enter the courts.
Three MAN officials, Faez Ahmed, Yusuf Kisangi, and Ibrahim Osman, had been ousted from their positions by a group led by Ali Shariff, Gibe Kassim, Bashir Abdulrehman, and Ahmad Rashid. The ousted officials, however, were not ready to give up without a fight.
On September 16, 2021, the ousted officials had planned to hold an Annual General Meeting (AGM) at Bondeni Mosque in Nakuru, but their opponents were determined to stop them. Through their lawyer, David Mong'eri, the ousted officials accused their opponents of attempting to illegally and forcefully remove them from office.
The ousted officials claimed that their opponents had called for the meeting 'illegally, without authority, consent and or involvement of the genuine officials and members.' They also alleged that the meeting was scheduled through a newspaper advertisement and was intended to unlawfully conduct the election of new office holders.
The ousted officials further claimed that their opponents wanted to use the backdoor to remove them without following the laid procedure. They also averred that if elections were conducted, wrangles would erupt and they would suffer harm, loss, and damage.
However, the opposing group denied these allegations. They claimed that they were the genuine officials, having been elected after the former officials failed in their duties. They also claimed that they had the right to call for the AGM and conduct elections without interruption.
On July 19, 2021, the opposing group had lodged a complaint with the Registrar of Society, who had written to the ousted officials. The opposing group also accused the ousted officials of failing to hold an AGM in 2020 and claimed that they had lodged a complaint with the Registrar of Society.
The ousted officials retaliated by accusing their opponents of being under investigations and thus unfit to hold office. They also claimed that the Covid-19 pandemic was not a compelling reason for the officials to delay the meeting.
