CJ Mutunga urged to revoke Kadhi appointments

Coast Supreme Council of Kenya Muslims (SUPKEM) has urged Chief Justice Dr Willy Mutunga to revoke the recruitment of new Kadhis that was concluded recently.

SUPKEM officials maintained that the appointment that was conducted by the Judicial Service Commission (JSC) was biased and marred with irregularities.

Speaking at press conference on Wednesday, SUPKEM chairman Sheikh Modhar Khitamy claimed that the appointments have no national outlook.

“We are telling the Judicial Service Commission that they do not have the mandate to judge Muslims on the vetting process,” said Sheikh.

He added that 70 per cent of candidates shortlisted were from one region claiming that the process was not open to all.

The council stated that the Kadhi chief was not involved in the exercise of interviewing the candidates as stipulated by the Constitution.

He noted that the exercise was overlooked by Justice Mohammed Warsame who was accused of allegedly being biased and favouring people from one region.

The Constitution of Kenya provides for Kadhi’s courts to decide disputes of personal law among Muslims which include marriage, divorce and inheritance.

Some 330 people had sent applications, where 82 were shortlisted and called for interviews out of which 20 were appointed as Kadhis.

Among those shortlisted was Mohammed Bwana who is an Islamic scholar from Lamu despite having a PhD in Islamic Law.