NAIROBI, Kenya – Attorney General Dorcas Oduor has appointed a five-member selection panel tasked with nominating candidates for the Muslim Endowment Fund (Waqf) Commission, a move aimed at accelerating the long-delayed implementation of the Waqf Act, 2022.
A gazette notice dated March 28, 2025, lists the appointees as Jawahir Keinan Hassan, Al-Hajji Hassan Kirua ole Naado, Sheikh Ibrahim Lethome Asmani, Sheikh Abdala Ibrahim Ateka, and Sumayya Hassan. Their appointment revokes a previous gazette notice issued in 2023.
The Waqf Act, enacted in 2022, was meant to regulate and manage charitable assets whose income is permanently dedicated to religious, educational, and social services.
However, delays in operationalizing the law have sparked growing concerns within the Muslim community.
The renewed push to implement the Waqf Act follows President William Ruto’s recent criticism of former Attorney General Justin Muturi’s handling of the matter.
Speaking at an Iftar dinner at State House, Nairobi, Ruto accused Muturi of inefficiency, asserting that his administration would now move swiftly to resolve the Waqf issue.
“I had a problem with the AG who was there before, he was fairly incompetent. But now, I have a very competent lady in the position, and I can assure you that the issues of Waqf will be sorted out within months,” Ruto said.
Muturi, who was recently dismissed from the Cabinet, defended his tenure, arguing that the Waqf Act does not provide for a centralized Muslim Endowment Fund.
“Under the Waqf Act No. 8 of 2022, there’s no provision for a ‘Muslim Endowment Fund.’ It must be understood that a Waqf is a religious, charitable, or benevolent endowment by a person who professes the Muslim faith and is managed by the Waqf Commission,” Muturi stated.
With the new selection panel in place, the operationalization of the Waqf Commission is expected to gain traction.
