Muslim pilgrims allege theft of funds, demand to meet Sonko
What you need to know:
The pilgrims told Nation that an agent and the governor’s personal assistant have been threatening them after they complained of the suffering they went through in Saudi Arabia and demanded to know how Sh2 million was used.
The group said they went three days without food while in Mecca and were forced to beg from other pilgrims.
- Prof Hassan Kinyua accused the group of failing to understand the sponsorship.
A group of Muslims who were sponsored by Nairobi Governor Mike Sonko to attend the annual Hajj Pilgrimage in Mecca, Saudi Arabia, in August have accused the event planners of misappropriating funds and causing them to suffer.
They said they have been blocked from seeing the governor by individuals who were at the forefront in planning the event for fear of revealing how they suffered after the funds were reportedly embezzled.
HARDSHIPS
The pilgrims told Nation that an agent and the governor’s personal assistant have been threatening them after they complained of the suffering they went through in Saudi Arabia and demanded to know how Sh2 million was used.
“Although it was a once in a lifetime event, we are bitter because we suffered from the onset. We have been trying to see the governor but our efforts have been thwarted by individuals who fear that we will tell him the truth. We are requesting him to have a meeting with us so that we can unmask those who duped him,” said the group.
The group said they went three days without food while in Mecca and were forced to beg from other pilgrims. They claimed their agents neither took care of them nor gave them directions to various worshipping centres.
The Muslims further claimed that they were forced to beg for sleeping space in tents of their Muslim brothers and sisters from other countries.
“We survived on water for three days and had to endure verbal attacks from some pilgrims of Somali origin, who were not ready to accommodate us after we begged for sleeping spaces in their tents. If the sponsorship was full, where did the money go, and if it was partial, then we could have been told before we left Kenya,” said the faithful.
MISUNDERSTANDING
But the agent, Prof Hassan Kinyua who lectures at the University of Nairobi, accused the group of failing to understand the sponsorship and fighting for Sh2 million that was not reportedly withdrawn by the governor’s personal assistant and photographer, Mr Farhan Ibrahim.
“I didn’t abandon anyone. I only used the Sh3 million that the governor gave out before we left. Mr Ibrahim told me he never withdrew the Sh2 million that the group is pursuing, and that it was resent to the governor although I can’t confirm,” Prof Kinyua said.
When contacted, Mr Ibrahim refused to give more information on the allegations, only insisting that the money is with the governor, and that there was no need for the group to book an appointment with him because they had conveyed their appreciation immediately they jetted back.
“Why are they insisting on seeing the governor yet we represented them and conveyed their thank-you message? If they think we misappropriated the Sh2 million, which was resent to the governor, then let them go on with their agenda,” said Mr Ibrahim.
Attempts to get a comment from Mr Sonko bore no fruit as there were no answers to calls and text messages.
