Saudi envoy under fire for meddling in Supkem affairs – Weekly Citizen

Saudi Arabia ambassador to Kenya Mohammed Khayat is under fire from the Muslim community following intensified accusations of interfering with the activities of Supkem leading to current animosity within the body.

In a leaked letter in our possession, members of the supreme council of Muslims are angered by alleged plot by the envoy to oust their chairman Hassan Ole Naado through backdoor deals and replace him with his crony.

Ole Naado

“It is with heavy hearts and profound sadness that the leadership and the membership os Supkem has been forced to address this rare protest letter to your good self in which we take great exception to your personal conduct of meddling and interfering in the affairs of the council,” the letter read.

The members have castigated Khayat against what they described as his sustained pressure and other armtwisting tactics to ensure that the chairman relinquishes his position to his preferred choice.

They vowed not to bow to pressure from the unethical demands by the ambassador adding that their operations are guided by a constitution and policies as opposed to the perceived phone calls from foreign diplomats.

The council is a registered and independent umbrella organisation of Muslim focused organisations, mosques and Madaris spread all over Kenya all over Kenya with established and sound leadership and management structures.

In a letter copied top local and international offices, Supkem members detailed that they are aware that the ambassador issued instructions to ensure that the current chairman is removed and replaced merely because he was not his preferred choice and therefore was poised to undermine his interest in the country.

The letter purportedly authored by Ole Naado was copied to the office of Interior CS Fred Matiang’i, Foreign Affairs CS Rachel Omamo and her PS Macharia Kamau and to the ministry of Hajj and Umra Services, Saudi Arabia.

When contacted, Naado did not deny or accept but said he is not ready to speak to the media regarding the letter.

In the letter, the Muslim community states that the conduct of the ambassador is sharply against the principals, interests and policies of the government of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia as well as the diplomatic relations between Kenya and his country.

Nairobi Governor hosts Ambassador Khayat

He has been accused of leadership style dominated by racial, ethnic preferences and profiling of leaders, a move which is equally a violation of Article 27 of the constitution of Kenya.

The irate members have observed that ambassador Khayat’s interest in Supkem leadership has sowed seeds of discord now threatening to irreparably divide the Muslim community in Kenya, a community that has always lived harmoniously irrespective of their racial, ethnic and socio-economic considerations over ages.

“We therefore take great exception to your unwarranted meddling and interference in the affairs of Supkem and, most respectfully, call upon you to henceforth stop and desist from pursuing a racist and ethnic agenda,” it reads.

They added that it was highly regrettable that the scheme by the ambassador to remove the chairman has emerged at a time when the chairman had embarked on putting in place a transparent and efficient system to streamline and manage the Kenyan preparations for the forthcoming Hajj 2020 as agreed with the ministry of Hajj and Umra Affairs in a recent meeting