A group of Muslim leaders in Eldoret City are at risk facing criminal charges after they allegedly forged registration documents for an existing association.
The Office of Registrar of Societies confirmed that the said it did not register any association with the name ‘Muslim Association Mosque Committee’.
An Eldoret Muslim leader, Jamal Diriwo Omari, had written to the registrar seeking clarification on the registration status of the association he claimed was impersonating an existing one.
He argued that while the Muslim Association Mosque Committee, Eldoret, was duly registered, a group of leaders had fraudulently registered a separate one, but purporting to be the same.
“We wish to inform you that the Office has not received and/or registered an association by the name Muslim Association Mosque Committee,” read a letter signed by State Counsel Phillip Mukamba on behalf of The Registrar of Societies.
The office further pointed out that at the time of the purported registration, “the 2014 moratorium on registration of new religious associations was in place.”
The moratorium was lifted in 2022.
Omari, in a letter to the Registrar of Societies had also asked for investigation into the forgery of the said certificate.
However, the agency said it has no powers to investigate the matter and advised that the matter be forwarded to the police.
“Further note that investigations relating to fraud/forgery raised in your letters do not fall within the jurisdiction of the Registrar of Societies since they are merely of criminal nature,” it added.
Jamal Diriwo records statement over fraudulent registration of Eldoret Muslim Association
Omari has since recorded a statement at the Directorate of Criminal Investigations (DCI) offices in Eldoret.
He now expected the DCI to summons individuals behind the forged certificate of the association that the Registrar of Societies said does not exist in their database.
“Original registration was of 1957 July December and its on record to date including its properties and accepts,” the youthful Muslim leader told Uasin Gishu News.
He has been following up on the matter for over a year now, and it took the intervention of the Commission on Administrative Justice (The Ombudsman) to get a response.
“It is now upon DCI to take action and I hope it will be serious one that will serve as an example to those planning to commit a similar act,” Omari said.
He further revealed that the Ethics and Anti-Corruption Commission (EACC) has also been notified about the issue.
