Muslims, matatu owners back Uhuru Kenyatta's re-election

President Uhuru Kenyatta meets Muslim leaders and scholars at State House, Nairobi. PHOTO | PSCU

What you need to know:

  • Sheikh Ahmed Musallam said the scholars have decided to rally the community behind the President.  
  •  Supkem chairman Sheikh Adan Wachu said Muslim scholars and leaders have a duty to guide the community to make the right decisions.

President Uhuru Kenyatta’s re-lection bid received a boost when Muslim scholars and leaders of Islamic institutions vowed to support him.

The first group to meet the President was leaders representing the Supreme Council of Kenya Muslims (Supkem), National Muslim Leaders Forum and Jamia Mosque among others.

Sheikh Ahmed Musallam said the scholars have decided to rally the community behind the President.  

“Our decision follows consultations and research. We know who is good for the country as well as the Muslim community,” he said.

 Supkem chairman Sheikh Adan Wachu said Muslim scholars and leaders have a duty to guide the community to make the right decisions.

ISLAMIC SCHOLARS

The other group included more than 100 country’s leading Islamic scholars.

They thanked him for appointing the highest number of Cabinet Secretaries and Principal Secretaries from the community and implementing infrastructure projects in northern Kenya and the coast.

 At the meeting, which was attended by National Assembly Majority Leader Aden Duale and Tourism Cabinet Secretary Najib Balala, President Kenyatta handed over a donation of 36 tonnes of dates he personally bought to support needy Muslims during the Holy month of Ramadan.

RIGHTS OF OTHERS

Leaders thanked the President for also appointing the highest number of individuals from the community –at least 18- to become chairmen of parastatals or commissions.

 President Kenyatta said his government is fully committed to ensuring the rights of all Kenyans are respected irrespective of their religious, colour or creed.

 “I want to encourage and assure you as a government we believe that we must be a nation which respects the rights of others,” said the President.

 Mr Duale said people in northern Kenya appreciate the good work President Kenyatta’s administration has done including the construction of the Isiolo Moyale Road and the ongoing  tarmacking of the road linking Mandera, Wajir and Garissa.

SENIOR POSITIONS

“There is no time Muslims have held so many senior positions in government,” said Duale.

Mr Balala said Muslims have been honoured more under President Kenyatta’s leadership.

 “If there is any time the Muslims are closer to government it is now,” said CS Balala.

Matatu owners also agreed to support the President’s re-election. Speaking to the Nation , Matatu Owners Association National Coordinator Albert Karagacha said they had agreed to support the President in his bid for a second term.

“We have agreed to support the President and we are going to be endorsing him very soon,” said Mr Karagacha.

-Additional reporting by Collin's Omondi