By Mbaraka Abucheri & Urban Shihemi. May 29, 2025.

A growing wave of land disputes targeting Muslim institutions in Kirinyaga County has raised alarms about religious intolerance, with the latest case involving a group of individuals claiming ownership of the land where Kagio Jamia Mosque stands.

 The mosque, a cornerstone of the Muslim community in Kagio town, is now at the center of a legal battle, highlighting a troubling trend of land grabbing affecting mosques and Muslim schools in the region.

In recent weeks, cases of land grabbing, particularly targeting mosques and Muslim schools within Kirinyaga, have been on the increase. A total of five mosques in the county are currently entangled in legal disputes over land ownership, with cases pending in courts.

The issue came to a head last year when Muslim residents in Mwea, Kirinyaga County, faced anxiety over threats to demolish a community mosque following a court ruling that deemed their occupancy of a 29-acre plot unlawful. The contested land hosts a private hospital, a mosque, and various commercial and residential properties.

The leadership representing the Muslim community in Kagio is now appealing for intervention from President William Ruto and the anti-graft agency to safeguard the mosque’s land from potential land grabbers. The situation has been further complicated by an incident at Masjid Issa bin Maryam in Baricho, Kirinyaga West sub-county, where unknown individuals vandalized a section of the mosque, including windows, in an apparent attempt to seize the land. Muslim residents have accused an unnamed county executive member, driven by Islamophobia and vested interests, of orchestrating a sinister plan to grab the community’s land.

Sheikh Ruweis Ahmad, a prominent local leader, emphasized the legitimacy of the mosque’s claim to the land. “The piece of land on which the mosque stands was allocated to the Muslim community by the defunct Kirinyaga County Council in 1985, and a letter of allotment was issued confirming the use of the land as a mosque,” he said. He further noted that all legal requirements and land procedures were followed, with approval granted by the then Kirinyaga County Council for the construction of the mosque and an adjacent school.

Sheikh Ruweis decried the involvement of local leaders in these disputes, accusing them of using residents and individuals to dubiously acquire public land. “Schools, mosques, and residents are losing land. It is absurd that the local leaders are behind the vice,” he said, urging authorities to address the issue before it escalates further. The chairman of Daar-ul-Majlis al-Islami Kenya echoed these sentiments, appealing to President Ruto to intervene and protect the Muslim community’s land from grabbers.

County government records confirm that the land in Kagio town was legally allocated to the Muslim community in accordance with physical planning regulations. Despite this, the community faces ongoing challenges in securing a title deed for the property. Hassan Ole Naado, the national chairman of the Supreme Council of Kenya Muslims (SUPKEM), has called on Kirinyaga Governor Anne Waiguru to intervene and ensure respect for property ownership rights. “The Kagio Jamia Mosque has been a place of worship for the Muslim community in the area for over forty years. We therefore request your Excellency Governor Anne Waiguru and your esteemed office to intervene to facilitate the issuance of a title deed for the mosque,” Ole Naado stated.

These challenges are reflective of a broader issue affecting Muslim communities across Kenya. In Kwale county, The Ethics and Anti-Corruption Commission (EACC) intervened to stop the attempted grabbing of the historic Kongo Mosque, a centuries-old heritage site on Kenya’s Coast.

The historic Kongo Mosque, dating back to the 14th century, has been at the center of a land grabbing controversy. A private developer allegedly obtained a title deed for the land in February 2025, despite the mosque’s status as a protected monument. These incidents underscore the pressing need for legal protections and proactive measures to safeguard religious institutions and properties.

The Muslim community in Kirinyaga county are now appealing for intervention from President William Ruto and the anti-graft agency to safeguard The Kagio Jamia Mosque’s land from potential land grabbers.