By Athman Amran
Chief Kadhi Sheikh Hammad Muhammad Kassim is set to retire after eight years of service.
Kassim, a renowned Muslim scholar, told The Standard he has opted not to seek renewal of his contract, which expires on May 28.
"We want a person who is younger to take over," Sheikh Kassim said.
He had retired as Chief Kadhi in 2005 at the age of 55, but had since then been working on contract. Kassim was appointed to the position in 2002 after working as a kadhi in Lamu and Nairobi from 1992 to 2002.
He was, prior to that, a secondary school teacher since 1984.
Kassim took over from Sheikh Nassor Mohammad Nahdy who retired after 22 years of service.
The Judicial Service Commission advertised the Chief Kadhi’s position in a local daily, Wednesday. Also advertised are positions of Kadhi I (two posts) and Kadhi II (two posts).
Kassim said the posts advertised are also due to retirement of incumbents, not an addition to the current number of 17 kadhis countrywide.
Kassim’s tenure has been marked by the constitution review process in which the institution of the Kadhi’s court has been put to test, with some Christians fighting for the removal of the courts in a new constitution.
Retain court
But he is happy to retire with the court still upheld in the constitution, as the Committee of Experts on Constitution Review deemed it fit to retain the court.
Ramadhan and the marking of Eid-Ul-Fitr.
A section of Muslims have continuously followed the Saudi-Arabian calendar, which is based on astronomical calculations, ignoring Kassim’s insistence that the start of Ramadhan and Eid-Ul-Fitr should be marked only when the new moon was physically sighted.
Duties of the chief kadhi include supervision of all Kadhi’s courts, sitting as an assessor during appeals from Kadhi’s courts and supervising and guiding court staff.
He also submits regular reports to the Chief Justice concerning the courts, notifies the Attorney General on registration of Muslim marriages and divorces and also attends to matters of sighting of the moon.
