Kenyan Muslims end Ramadhan with prayers and celebration

By Athman Amran

View related video clip Eid Celebrations in Pictures

Supreme Council of Kenya Muslims (Supkem) has called for unity and generosity as Muslims marked Eid-Ul-Fitr with prayers in various mosques and open grounds all over the country Wednesday.

Muslims thronged the Sir Ali Muslim grounds in Pangani, Nairobi and various mosques in Kibera, South B, Eastleigh and other mosques in Nairobi.

A Muslim boy distributes dates during eid ul fitri prayers at Ziwani Primary School grounds in Mombasa, Wednesday. PHOTO: Maarufu Mohamed/ Standard.

In Mombasa almost all the mosques conducted Eid prayers and most people congregated at Tononoka grounds and Ziwani Primary School, under the organisation of the Shariff Nasssir Foundation.

Muslims could not pray at the Mombasa Municipal Stadium this year because the facility is under renovation.

Most faithful wore the Muslim male robe (kanzu) and head cover (kofia) and women wore buibuis and lessos as they joined others in the East African region to mark the end of the holy month of Ramadhan.

Muslims also thronged market places to buy goats to slaughter to celebrate the day.

Supkem national organising secretary Sheikh Shariff Hussein however said the Muslim umbrella body was concerned that some Muslims broke the fast on Tuesday instead of Wednesday.

"However majority of Muslims prayed today (Wednesday), after the announcement by Chief Kadhi Sheikh Ahmad Shariff Hussein Muhdhar.

Sheikh Hussein said it has also been the question of who informs the chief kadhi and Supkem on the sighting of the crescent moon.

"The informant has to be trustworthy and the information has to be corroborated," Hussein said.

The Supkem official said Supkem would soon call for a meeting between all Muslim leaders and organisations from all over the country, to solve the problem of moon sighting, especially to mark the beginning and end of Ramadhan.

The chairman of the National Muslim Leaders Forum (Namlef) Sheikh Abdillahi Abdi however said the issue is not all that divisive arguing that Muslims have always been united.

Muslim faithful follow proceedings during eid ul fitri prayers at Ziwani Primary School grounds in Mombasa, Wednesday. PHOTO: Maarufu Mohamed/ Standard.

He said soon the Chief Kadhi, Namlef, Supkem, Majlisil Ulamaa, the Council of Imams and Preachers of Kenya and other Muslim leaders and organisation would have a meeting to ensure the issue is settled once and for all.

The imam of the South B Mosque, Sheikh Qari Hussein, who led Eid prayers called on Muslims to have respect for the chief kadhi and wait for his announcement as to when Ramadhan begins and ends to mark Eid-Ul-Fitr.

He also called Muslims in all regions to cooperate where the sighting of the new moon for Ramadhan and Eid-Ul-Fitr are concerned.