A wave of anger and heartbreak has swept through a group of Muslim faithful from across Kenya after they were allegedly defrauded by an Imam, identified as Ustadh Omar Athman, in a botched plan to facilitate their pilgrimage to the holy cities of Mecca and Medina.
The victims, who include women and men from Nairobi, Malindi, Nakuru, and other parts of the country, say they handed over large sums of money ranging from Sh200,000 to Sh640,000 after being promised affordable packages for Umrah and Hajj pilgrimages.
Instead, the Imam vanished without a trace, days before their expected departure.
“It was a promise of a lifetime,” said Mariam Juma, one of the victims. “We were already in the third week of Ramadan, wondering when we would leave.
But he wasn’t responding to our calls, he wasn’t picking up. We were left in total darkness.”
Juma says she was offered Umrah visas at a discounted rate of KSh200,000 and believed it was a divine opportunity. But when the time came, the supposed travel arrangements never materialized.
In a desperate attempt to get her money back, she tracked down Omar’s sister in Malindi, where he is known to preach at Al-Ihsan Mosque.
“I told them I’ve come in peace, I just want my money back. And they told me, ‘Did anyone say you won’t get it?’ But nothing has happened since,” Juma recounted tearfully.
Mariam Mohamed Ahmed claims she lost Sh360,000 in the scheme. Her friend, Barke Atieno Abdalla, who introduced her to Omar, also lost Sh640,000 money she sent via bank transfer through her daughter.
Another victim, Hussein Hassan Ali Omar from Nakuru, revealed that his dealings with Imam Omar date back to 2020.
He invested Sh300,000 in what was supposed to be a long-term partnership to facilitate Umrah trips for Kenyan Muslims. His colleague contributed an additional Sh200,000.
“I started receiving calls from elderly women who had sold vegetables and sewn clothes to save enough for this journey, only to be duped,” Hussein said.
“This man is not an Imam, he’s a conman. And he’s still advertising new trips on his WhatsApp status.”
Victims have since recorded statements at Lang’ata Police Station and obtained an Occurrence Book (OB) number.
Many are calling on the authorities to investigate the matter urgently and help them recover their money.
Currently, Omar’s phone remains switched off and his whereabouts are unknown.
His social media updates, including a fresh advertisement for another Umrah trip, have only deepened concerns that more unsuspecting Kenyans may fall prey to the same scam.
The incident has sparked widespread outrage in the Muslim community, with many calling for stricter regulation and oversight of religious leaders involved in pilgrimage facilitation.
For the victims, the betrayal runs deep not just financially, but spiritually.
“All we wanted was to fulfill our religious obligation,” said Juma.
“We trusted him as an Imam, a man of God. Now we’re left with nothing but empty pockets and broken faith.”
Police investigations are ongoing.
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