A row is brewing between a section of the Muslim community in Mamburui village, Kilifi County with a Madrassa committee over management of a multimillion Islamic learning institution in the area.
At the centre of the dispute is the claim that the current committee of Nur Muslim school that controls property and funds worth millions has allegedly been managing the institution like a personal property investment despite the fact that it belongs to the community of Mamburui.
The residents claimed the current committee is composed of untrustworthy and greedy individuals who are out to enrich themselves at the expense of the students and teachers who were going without food and teachers getting pay late.
What angered them most is the fact that the committee members organized elections of a new committee in Malindi with a few individuals instead of doing it in Mamburui where the school is located.
Munthaman Mohamed a long-serving member and Secretary-General claim the committee members do not recognize him and other officials that’s why they invited a few individuals and allegedly kicked him out.
Speaking to journalists at the Madrassa he said they fought hard and spent many resources to get back the institutions from people who were not from their denomination in a court battle that lasted for four years.
“There are people who have made this madrassa a private property, for personal gains they manage it the way they want, and whoever criticizes them is threatened he will be taken to court because they have money,” he said.
He said the current committee never struggled in the court battle and used to laugh at them and wish them bad lack to lose the case.
However, after they won the case, he said they came and took over as committee only to begin managing the institution like their own.
Mohamed called on President Uhuru Kenyatta, Interior Cabinet Secretary Fred Matiangi, Kilifi county commissioner Kutswa Olaka, Deputy County commissioner and the security officials to intervene and help resolve the matter before it escalates.
He said the community wants fresh elections of committee members to be called in Mamburui so that residents choose the people they want to lead the affairs of the school.
“We have so many people who are educated and can manage the institution transparently for the betterment of the students why do the current committee members want to lead forever till their death bed?” he asked.
He said they will not relent until the committee is changed and a new committee put in place as they are kins of those who donated land and properties for the establishment of the madrassa.
Ahmed Ali Alias Akaku said the committee is running the facility from Mombasa and Malindi yet students are suffering without food and teachers do not get their salaries in good time.
He said all people have to be involved in the running of the school to ensure it is managed in accordance with the law.
“Those running the school now are illiterate, they do not care about education and are taking money to buy cars and expand their personal businesses at the expense of the school children who are hungry,” he said.
He said it’s eight years since the current leadership took office and has never been another election or announcement of records of accounts.
Akaku said they are giving the committee 14 days to surrender all documents belonging to the school r else they will take legal action.
Aboud Issa a committee member said the fellow members do not care about the affairs of the school which has forced children to remain hungry and teachers with no pay.
Issa said his father contributed property to the madrassa in Mamburui and Gongoni.
“We asked the government to help us end this conflict so that normalcy can return there are other youths who are learned and can take over the leadership,” he said.
When contacted for comment the current committee members confirmed there were wrangles but dismissed the other parties protesting saying they were not honest in their statements.
In a telephone interview, one of the committee members said they have tried to solve the problems in vain.
*This article was written by Ramadhan Kambi for Uzalendo News. Email: uzalendonews24@gmail.com to submit your story.
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