Reformist leaders needed as Supkem goes to crucial polls

Civil society professional Hassan Ole Naado is among candidates seeking elective posts in Supkem's national polls. He wants to be the next Secretary General.

While the attention of Kenyans has been consumed by the political intrigues surrounding the repeat presidential elections, another important election is expected to happen on Monday October 23rd.

It is the national polls of the Supreme Council of Kenya Muslims (Supkem), one of the main faith-based umbrella organisations in the country.

The event may seem mundane to many but should in fact be of interest to all Kenyans due to the vital role the 46 year old organisation plays (or should play) in the political and socio-economic life of the country.

Many hope that a reformist and dynamic leadership of Supkem will emerge when 179 delegates from across the country cast their ballots, to steer the organisation to play a more effective role in articulating issues facing all Kenyans including Muslims.

A stronger Supkem with effective and visionary leadership is in the interest of all Kenyans since it will better contribute its voice and programmes to enhance governance of the country and the delivery of vital services to Kenyans as well as tackling human rights abuses and violent extremism among many other challenges.

It is encouraging to see that the polls have attracted a number of credible and respected personalities gunning for top posts raising hopes for the professional management of the organisation.

It is also encouraging that Supkem's top seats that were previously the preserve of persons from Coast and North Eastern regions, where Muslims are the majority, may for the first time be occupied by qualified persons from other areas.

Such a development will help advance the values of inclusivity and diversity that the country is striving to attain.

For instance, Hassan Ole Naado, a civil society leader, who is seeking the powerful Secretary General's position, hails from the minority Maasai community, which forms only a small fraction of the population of Muslims in Kenya.

The road leading to Supkem's much-delayed national polls has been rocky as a section of current office holders have mounted spirited resistance, including sponsoring court cases, to extend their stay in office. Fortunately, the charade ended when the High Court finally fixed a poll date.

Still, a section of the candidates running in the polls appear keen to maintain and entrench the status quo at Supkem that has been characterised by poor and unaccountable leadership, graft and partisan politics, leaving the umbrella body literally on its knees.

In the recent years, the influence and impact of Supkem has waned significantly not only within the Muslim community but also on the national stage. Its leadership has not played a meaningful and constructive role in the national dialogue on political, economic and social matters facing the country. 

Some officials have overstayed in office clocking at least 40 years in their position, with little tangible achievements to their credit. This may be partly responsible for the general paralysis in the organisation in fulfilling its mandate.

Instead, the leaders are perceived to be more concerned with licking the boots of the government of the day in exchange for personal gain instead of objectively and responsibly lobbying and articulating the burning issues that are close to the heart of Kenyans including Muslims and seeking solutions to them.

For instance, in the ongoing political uncertainty that has gripped the country following the disputed August polls, Supkem leadership has not risen to the occasion expected from a responsible faith-based group to provide the voice of conscience and sobriety for the nation as other groups have done.

Instead, the leadership has been more focused on leading delegations to endorse political leaders instead of remaining non-partisan and unifying advocates for the general good of the country.

Fortunately, the likelihood of a new reformist leadership to emerge in the upcoming polls are higher than before since the elections are expected to be a bit free and fair compared to previous ones which were characterised by blatant rigging resulting in incompetent officials taking and remaining in office.

This time, the polls are expected to be supervised by the Office of the Registrar of Societies with a number of other measures put in place to ensure that the polls are credible, including ensuring that only bona fide Supkem delegates vote.

The new leaders that are expected to be elected on Monday have a huge and urgent workload ahead of them to restore the credibility of the organisation, enhancing transparency and accountability in the running of Supkem and strengthening strategic engagements with the government and other stakeholders among many other things.

Ally Jamah is a Media Practitioner based in Nairobi. Email: [email protected]