Mombasa-based Hajj and Umrah agents are calling on the government to intervene in what they describe as unwarranted interference by the Supreme Council of Kenya Muslims (SUPKEM) in the management of pilgrimage services.
Speaking during a press briefing on Saturday, members of the Hajj and Umrah Association of Kenya accused SUPKEM of overstepping its mandate and disrupting operations critical to facilitating Hajj and Umrah pilgrimages.
Led by the association’s Vice Chair, Sheikh Abdulkadir Al-Ubeidy, the agents warned that continued interference by SUPKEM could cripple the Hajj business and negatively impact government revenue collected through Value Added Tax (VAT) on pilgrimage services.
“The Umrah business has significantly declined. This month alone, we’ve only managed to take 100 pilgrims for Umrah, down from the usual 700,” said Sheikh Al-Ubeidy.
“We are appealing to the Tourism Regulatory Authority, Kenya Tourism Board, and the Ministries of Tourism, Trade, and Foreign Affairs to urgently intervene,” he added.
The agents questioned SUPKEM’s involvement in Hajj operations, arguing that as a non-profit religious council, it should not engage in business activities related to pilgrimage services.
“SUPKEM has demanded that each agent pays $1,300 per pilgrim for Hajj services, in addition to a $100 service charge. If we have 6,000 pilgrims from Kenya, SUPKEM would collect about $600,000 — roughly KSh75 million. Yet the services provided remain substandard. Where does this money go?” posed Sheikh Rishard Rajab Ramadhan, Director at Al Andalus Travels.
The agents said they no longer wish to operate under SUPKEM’s oversight in future Hajj operations and are urging the government to re-evaluate the Council’s role in regulating pilgrimage services.
They further alleged that SUPKEM excluded them from Umrah activities and from critical planning meetings for the 2026 Hajj.
“They have formed a Hajj Mission under SUPKEM and sidelined key stakeholders, the agents who actually facilitate pilgrimages. This has led to repeated logistical problems, including last year’s and this year’s issues with tents, transport, and food. SUPKEM is attempting to conceal these failures,” Sheikh Al-Ubeidy added.
The agents also criticized a new deadline issued by SUPKEM, requiring full payment for the 2026 Hajj by August 26, calling it unrealistic and rushed.
“We refuse to be intimidated or oppressed. We want to manage Hajj services independently. If we’re supposedly the problem, then let us take full responsibility and see the results. The only part we handled, flights and accommodation, went smoothly. But services handled by SUPKEM were a disaster,” the agents said collectively.
They also accused SUPKEM’s Coast region officials of favoritism in the selection of agents, alleging that only a few were chosen to offer Hajj services while others were sidelined without explanation.
“If SUPKEM believes they acted properly, let them come forward and face us publicly to prove we are wrong. They claim not to receive money from pilgrims, but as agents, we collect payments and pass them to SUPKEM to facilitate services like accommodation. The truth must come out,” said Khalid Abdulrahman Ali, Managing Director of Al Haramin Agency.
The agents concluded by urging SUPKEM to stop deflecting blame for the challenges that pilgrims faced during this year’s Hajj.