Kenya’s Chief Kadhi Sheikh Athman AbdulHalim Hussein has died while in Mombasa.
His death was announced on Thursday, July 10, 2025 by Jamia Mosque Imam, Sheikh Jamaludin Osman, on his X account.
“Indeed, we belong to Allah, and indeed, to Him we will return. I am saddened to inform you of the passing on of our Sheikh AbdulHalim Hussein a while ago in Mombasa,” he said.
He added that the Chief Kadhi’s burial will take place in Mombasa after the Asr prayers.
“He, Chief Kadhi, shall be buried in Mombasa after Asr.”
Sheikh Abdulhalim was appointed as Kenya’s Chief Kadhi by the Judicial Service Commission in July 2023, from a pool of 5 candidates who had been shortlisted after a vacancy announcement made in April 2023.
He succeeded Sheikh Ahmed Muhdhar, who retired after serving for 12 years and attaining the age of 60.
The Chief Kadhi in Kenya is the head of the Kadhi’s Courts, which handle civil cases related to Muslim personal law such as marriage, divorce, and inheritance only when all parties involved are Muslims and consent to the court’s jurisdiction.
Appointed by the Judicial Service Commission, the Chief Kadhi must be a qualified Islamic legal scholar.
Besides judicial duties, the Chief Kadhi also offers guidance on Islamic matters and supervises other Kadhis across the country.
