Chief Kadhi Hassan forms moon sighting team as Muslims gear up for Ramadan
National
By
Maarufu Mohamed
| Feb 16, 2026
Muslims during the first Friday prayers of the Holy Month Ramadhan 2023 at the Jamia Mosque, Nairobi. [File, Standard]
Muslims across the country are preparing for the holy month of Ramadan, expected to begin on Tuesday or Wednesday, subject to the sighting of the crescent moon.
Acting Chief Khadhi Sheikh Sukyan Omar Hassan has invited Islamic organisations to nominate members to take part in the National Moon Sighting exercise.
In a letter dated February 12, 2026 Sheikh Hassan said the team would meet on Tuesday evening at the Khadhi’s Court in Upper Hill, Nairobi, to take part in the moon-sighting exercise.
Those invited include the Supreme Council of Kenya Muslims (Supkem), the Council of Imams and Preachers of Kenya (CIPK), the East Africa Moon Sighting team and several imams.
Sheikh Hassan said their participation and collaboration are vital in promoting unity, accuracy and transparency in the national moon-sighting process.
However, Sheikh Sayid Ahmad Ahmed Badawy of the Kenya Fatwa Council (KFC) said the 30-day fasting period would begin on Wednesday, not Tuesday as earlier indicated by the Chief Kadhi.
“We sincerely appreciate your guidance on the commencement of Ramadan. However, we respectfully wish to point out that, based on local moon sightings in Kenya, the 29th of Sha‘ban 1447H falls on Wednesday, February 18, 2026, not Tuesday, February 17,” he said in a reply to the Chief Kadhi.
He added: “We monitor the crescent moon every month throughout the year in cooperation with the Mufti of Tanzania and Zanzibar, alongside the professional technical team known as East Africa Moon Sighting.”
In a separate interview, Sheikh Muhdhar Khitamy of Supkem Coast said the holy month of Ramadan is an annual period of deep spiritual reflection and fasting for Muslims.
“This is the holiest month in the Islamic calendar, where Muslims are commanded to annually fast for 30 days from sunrise to sunset and usually starts immediately after the eighth month of Shaaban,” said Khitamy.
He said Ramadan fasting is one of the five pillars of Islam, alongside Faith (Shahadah), Prayer (Salah), Charitable Giving (Zakah) and the Pilgrimage to Makkah (Hajj).
He urged Muslims to forgive one another, strengthen ties with family, relatives and friends and embrace Ramadan as a season of learning, repentance and renewal, a time to return to Allah and deepen both obligatory and voluntary acts of worship.
Sheikh Mohamed Khalifa of CIPK said Muslims are ready for the holy month and urged them to uphold discipline and humility, dedicating themselves fully to God during and beyond the fasting period.
He said physically mature, healthy Muslims must abstain from food, drink, gum, tobacco and sexual relations between dawn and sunset throughout the fasting month.