Former Gender Cabinet Secretary Aisha Jumwa has issued a stern ultimatum to a Takaungu-based Muslim cleric, demanding a public apology over allegations that she and her family thrive through the use of evil spirits — locally referred to as majini.
Through her lawyer Alfred Omwancha of A.M. Omwancha and Company Advocates, Jumwa has served Mohamed Khamis Mwajamandah, also known as Mohamed, with a formal demand letter, giving him seven days to retract the statements or face a defamation suit.
The controversial remarks were allegedly made by Mohamed during Friday prayers last week in Takaungu, Kilifi North, and later circulated via TikTok. In the viral video clip, Mohamed claimed that Jumwa’s political rise and recent appointment as Chairperson of the Kenya Roads Board were fueled by majini.
“Our client has been portrayed as a person dependent on demonic forces for political gain, which is not only untrue but deeply defamatory,” said Omwancha. “These statements were made with clear malice and political ill-will, and have significantly damaged her reputation among the public, her political peers, and her family.”
According to the lawyer, the cleric went further to describe Jumwa as rude, boastful, and disrespectful — traits allegedly linked to the supposed spiritual influence. Omwancha emphasized that the defamatory claims sparked widespread debate and ridicule across both mainstream and social media, tarnishing Jumwa’s public image.
“If we do not receive an apology and admission of liability within the stipulated timeframe, we have strict instructions to initiate court proceedings against Mohamed,” he warned.
The saga stems from tensions following the burial of Jumwa’s 30-year-old relative, Zakaria Charo Kirao, who died after a mob lynching. Charo had allegedly murdered 75-year-old Ainain Twalib and cannibalized parts of his body. Jumwa criticized the Muslim leaders in Takaungu for conducting the burial at night, a practice she questioned in social media posts.
In response, local Muslim leaders — including Ustadh Mahad Ali and Bakari Juma — accused the former CS of disrespecting Islamic traditions and attempting to create religious divisions. “We conducted the burial according to Islamic rites,” said Mohamed during the same Friday gathering. “But her utterances have caused unnecessary tension.”
The comments escalated into Mohamed’s now-contested public pronouncement linking Jumwa to majini — a move that has landed him in legal crosshairs.
The religious leaders maintain they were defending their faith and customs. But as the seven-day deadline looms, all eyes are on whether the cleric will retract his claims — or face a defamation battle in court.
