The High Court has dismissed an application by Al-Huda Mosque members who sought orders restraining the mosque’s committee from dealing with its assets.
In their application, 21 members of the Kwa Njenga mosque sued the committee and its chairperson for rampant misapplication and misappropriation of the mosque revenues; from parking facilities to rental rooms.
The members in the application say there has never been any election of the board since 1992 and the leadership is self-declared.
“The current leadership has been under discretion and whims of un-elected and a self-declared chairman against the wishes of the Al-Huda Muslim Community members,” the application reads.
But the application was thrown out on grounds they would not suffer a loss if it were not to be granted.
Further, they said the mosque lacks a controlling system for efficient management of donations given by Muslim well-wishers and donors.
In the application, the mosque leadership was accused of lacking transparency, accountability and not involving the mosque members.
“All decisions on crucial and fundamental issues are handled solely by the self-imposed chairman and a clique of craftily appointed members,” they said.
The 21 have accused the committee of chasing congregants from the mosque early last year and ordering them to pray at their homes.
The committee has also been faulted for using police officers to silence members a majority of whom are arrested and charged with 'imagined offenses' when they voice their concerns.
“The defendants (committee) have turned down, ignored, neglected and refused to consider the request from the 21 members to call for and hold meetings with the mosque congregations but instead have used the police."
The committee was also said to have threatened the mosque community with dire consequences including expulsion from the mosque.
While seeking for the orders, the members termed it 'totally unreasonable and procedurally unfair for the committee to micromanage the affairs of the mosque without the input of the mosque membership'.
The members pledged to continue fighting for justice until efficient management is established.
Edited by R.Wamochie
