Nine officials of the Huruma Muslim Community have approached the High Court’s Judicial Review division to have criminal charges dismissed and the related proceedings suspended.

The charges, brought a few weeks ago, accuse the petitioners of forcefully taking over a parcel of land that the Supreme Council of Kenya Muslims Registered Trustees (SUPKEM) claims belongs to it.

The petitioners contend that the land was allocated to the community in 1971 by then‑Nairobi mayor Margaret Kenyatta for religious use, a claim supported by council correspondence from June 1972 documenting the hand‑over.

They are asking the court to direct Director of Public Prosecutions Renson Igonga to review the decision to charge them, pending the outcome of a related case, ELC E401 of 2025.

The community, which runs a mosque and school serving about 6,000 members since 1972, says the land is held in trust by SUPKEM and that demolition plans for a petrol station, mall and apartments would deprive them of their place of worship.

Court filings argue that SUPKEM, which was only registered in November 1973, has repeatedly shifted the dispute between courts, turning a civil matter into criminal proceedings without merit.

The petitioners stress the urgency of preserving the status quo, warning that demolition without public participation could provoke unrest among the 6,000‑strong congregation.