Kenya’s Chief Kadhi, Sheikh Athman Abdulhalim Hussein, died early Thursday at the age of 54 at his home in Tudor, Mombasa, according to Jamia Mosque Imam Sheikh Jamaludin Osman. The religious leader, appointed in July 2023 to head the country’s Kadhis’ courts, will be buried later today in Mombasa after Asr prayers. Chief Justice Martha Koome joined political and religious figures in paying tribute, describing Hussein as a principled leader who championed justice and unity within Kenya’s Muslim community. Hussein succeeded Sheikh Ahmed Mudhar, and his death leaves the Judicial Service Commission to identify a successor for the highest Islamic judicial post in the country. Hussein’s passing comes a day after the Supreme Court held special ‘Closing File’ proceedings to honour the late Senior Counsel Pheroze Nowrojee, a towering figure in Kenya’s legal profession. Presided over by Chief Justice Koome, the bench included Court of Appeal President Justice Daniel Musinga and Principal Judges Oscar Angote and Eric Ogola. Koome said the tradition underscores the judiciary’s duty to serve ‘as missionaries in the temple of justice.’ The back-to-back losses have plunged Kenya’s legal and religious communities into mourning.