Kenya allotted 4,500 Hajj seats by Saudi Arabia

Approximately 4,500 Kenyan Muslims will be allowed to participate in this year’s Hajj pilgrimage in Saudi Arabia.

The announcement follows the Middle East nation’s decision to open its borders to one million pilgrims who will be allowed to visit the holy city of Mecca and observe the annual pilgrimage, which is one of the five pillars of Islam.

The four remaining pillars are: Shahadah (a mandatory declaration of faith all muslims make), Salat (praying 5 times a day at specific times), Zakat (giving a part of your income to help the needy) and Sawm (fasting for 30 days during Ramadan).

Muslims are required to make the pilgrimage at least once in their lifetime if they can afford to do so and are physically able.

“Eighty-Five percent of the one million pilgrims are expected to come from outside the Kingdom with Kenya contributing a quota of 4,500 of these,” Supreme Council of Kenya Muslims national chairman Al-Hajj Hassan Ole Naado said in a statement.

Local muslims planning to go for the pilgrimage have however been urged to adhere to COVID-19 containment measures instituted by Saudi Arabia in a bid to tame the spread of the virus.

“The Pilgrims will be required to complete basic immunizations for Yellow Fever, Neisseria Meningitides, Seasonal Flu as well as Corona Virus vaccines as approved by the Ministry of Health,” Ole Naado added.

“They are also supposed to provide a negative PCR Test for a sample taken within 72 hours of departure to Saudi Arabia. In addition, Pilgrims  will be expected to wear a mask, both in open and closed places, while performing the pilgrimage.”

Pilgrims will likewise be required to obtain medical insurance to cover the cost of treatment for COVID-19 in the event that they do contract the virus during the pilgrimage which will take place between July 7 and 12, 2022.