Nine representatives linked to Huruma Mosque have been charged with forcible detainer over a disputed parcel of land.
The nine appeared before Milimani principal Magistrate Geoffrey Onsarigo on Wednesday, following their arrest on September 15, 2026.
According to the charge sheet, the accused are alleged to have unlawfully remained on Nairobi Block 130/1650, also identified as L.R. No. 209/10509, in Huruma, despite allegedly having no legal right to occupy the property.
The alleged offence is said to have been committed between May 2025 and September 15, 2026.
The property is registered in the name of the Supreme Council of Kenya Muslims Registered Trustees, with SUPKEM listed as the complainant.
Before the plea was taken, lawyers Danstan Omari and Stanley Kinyanjui urged the court to give the parties an opportunity to resolve the dispute outside court.
Omari told the court that the matter involved a mosque and members of the Muslim faith, and called for mediation, arguing that religious institutions should not be treated as personal property.
The prosecution opposed the request, maintaining that the ODPP had reviewed the investigation file and found sufficient grounds to charge the suspects.
The State argued that the matter before the court was criminal in nature and that the decision to prosecute falls within the mandate of the Director of Public Prosecutions.
The court nevertheless proceeded with the plea, with the nine accused persons facing the forcible detainer charge.
They were each granted a cash bail of Ksh50,000 with two sureties, or an alternative bond of Ksh200,000.
Speaking after court proceedings, Sid Warfa, the mosque chairman, also expressed outrage over their arrest, accusing SUPKEM officials of attempting to wrest control of the mosque.
“We are peace-loving Muslims, but the mosque will remain under our control,” he stated.
In solidarity with the Muslims, lawyer Danstan Omari stated that he would join more than 50,000 faithful at the mosque in Kimaiko for Friday Jumaa prayers.
He added a dramatic twist to the mosque dispute when he jokingly hinted that he was considering converting to Islam.
Speaking after their release, Said Ali Kibara expressed frustration over the charges, saying some of those accused had been associated with the mosque for decades.
“It’s unfortunate we who have been at the mosque since 1972 are being labelled as criminals. When we were building the mosque, where were they? We have been in occupation of that mosque for decades. We are ready to meet them in court,” Kibara, a mosque official, stated.
The matter will come up on September 30, 2026, for further directions as the dispute over the mosque property continues.
