Mombasa Muslim clerics have sent their congratulatory messages as they welcome the appointment of Athman Abdulhalim Hussein as the new Chief Kadhi of Kenya.
Led by the Organising Secretary of the Council of Imams and Preachers of Kenya (CIPK), Sheikh Mohammed Khalifah, they said that the interview process was transparent as the Judicial Service Commission (JSC) invited them to observe the whole exercise.
“The JSC gave us and the Supreme Council of Kenya Muslims (SUPKEM) a letter, and we took our observers, who watched the entire interview process,” he said.
Khalifah, while sending his congratulatory message to the new chief Kadhi, also asked the Muslim community to support the new officer to enable him to discharge his mandate effectively.
He asked the community to shun any political propaganda affiliated with the appointment, noting that as observers, they could affirm that the process leading to his appointment was seamless.
On his part, Sheikh Abu Katada said that the appointment is worthwhile since the Chief Kadhi is an intellectual person well versed in Islamic law and religion in general.
“I want to congratulate Sheikh Athman Abdulhalim Hussein on his appointment. As it is required in Islam for leaders to serve fairly and diligently, I hope he will be guided by the constitution and the Islamic law to serve Kenyans,” he said.
Kadhi’s courts are a court system in Kenya that enforces limited rights of inheritance, family, and succession for Muslims.
The history of the Kadhi’s court extends prior to the colonisation of East Africa in the 19th century. The courts continued under British rule and after Kenya’s independence in 1963.
Chief Kadhi, who serves the courts, is a public servant who is appointed by the Judiciary and serves up to the mandatory age of 60 years.
By Chari Suche
