The Kenya Muslims National Advisory Council (KEMNAC) national chairperson, Sheikh Juma Ngao, has called on President William Ruto to revoke the entire selection panel of the Muslim Endowment Fund (Waqf) Commission that was appointed by Attorney General Dorcas Oduor.
Ngao, while addressing the press on Monday, insisted that the panel membership was comprised of people with questionable ethics that are likely to have a general impact on the commission.
According to Ngao, the five-member selection panel, including Jawahir Keinan Hassan, Al-Hajji Hassan Kirua ole Naado, Sheikh Ibrahim Lethome Asmani, Sheikh Abdala Ibrahim Ateka, and Sumayya Hassan, would not serve the best interest of Muslims in shortlisting the appointees of the Waqf.
''These are people with questionable ethics whose only objective is to destroy whatever good we had built. They will have their friends and relatives as the commissioners of the fund,'' Ngao stated.
''I know them and how they are; they will be looking at a tribe of applicants and their races and not Islamic traditions. We are appealing to the President to help us change the membership of the panel.''
Further, the chairperson maintained that should the panel be allowed to continue its mandate, then the problems that Muslims have been facing for the past 100 years would not be solved.
''Let us have people who have no political party allegiance, tribal afflitions or race. We want a commission that will be composed and work for the Muslims. This has had an impact on Waqf for the last 100 years,'' Ngao added.
The Waqf composition has been a contested issue that has resulted in conflicts within the Cabinet, with President Ruto publicly falling out with former Public Service CS and Attorney General Justin Muturi.
The decision to fast-track the process comes amid public remarks by President William Ruto, who criticised former Attorney General Justin Muturi’s handling of Waqf matters.
Speaking at an Iftar dinner earlier last week at State House, Nairobi, Ruto criticized Muturi, referring to him as 'incompetent' over the delays in constituting the panel.
He soon after assured Muslim leaders that the issue would soon be resolved, and less than two days later, the AG gazetted the appointment of the selection panel.
''I had a problem with the AG who was there before; he was fairly incompetent. But now, I have a very competent lady in the position, and I can assure you that the issues of Waqf will be sorted out within months,'' Ruto stated.
Muturi, in response, defended his record, stating that the existing law does not provide for the establishment of a Muslim Endowment Fund.
He clarified that Waqf is a personal initiative by any individual who professes Islam and is managed by the Waqf Commission.
''Under the Waqf Act No. 8 of 2022, there’s no provision for a 'Muslim Endowment Fund.' It must be understood that a Waqf is a religious, charitable, or benevolent endowment by a person who professes the Muslim faith and is managed by the Waqf Commission,'' Muturi asserted.
