It has been claimed on Social Media that Gurdwara Juja Road, Nairobi (which is one of the oldest Gurdwaras in Nairobi) has been sold. This Gurdwara (Sikh Temple) has been very dear to the Saadh Sangat (congregation) since its inception.

The sale of the Gurdwara - which was built with the contribution of the Saadh Sangat - was sold quietly and has come as a shock and saddened many Sikhs around the world. The reasons given on Social media are that the “congregation numbers have dwindled due to Juja Road being an unsafe area to visit and a loss of income”.

Whilst those reasons may seem reasonable to some, it is how the Gurdwara has been sold that is questionable. It is the duty and responsibility of the Trustees and Management Committee, tasked with the running of the Gurdwara to gain the approval of the Saadh Sangat at large, as to their intentions to sell the Gurdwara and the reason(s) surrounding its sale.

Instead, the sale has been carried out in a very clandestine manner - without any notice to the Saadh Sangat - raising several irregularities & issues of serious concern.

1). There has been no Extraordinary General Meeting (with a notice period of 14 days) where the only item on the agenda should have been the sale of the Gurdwara.

If congregation numbers have indeed dwindled, could the land or the Gurdwara building be used for any other purpose that would benefit the Saadh Sangat or the poor and needy around the area in line with the principles of the Sikh faith?

2). The Gurdwara also has other properties including flats that house members of the Saadh Sangat and a community School that has been there for decades. Has any consideration been made regarding the rights of the tenants of the flats and the Management that has been running that school? The community school has been responsible for educating thousands of children in that area over the years…many being the children of Sikh families. 

3). What do the Trustees propose to do with the proceeds of the sale of the Gurdwara? Is there any accountability to the Saadh Sangat whose funds were used to build the Gurdwara and its associated assets? What will those funds be used for in the future?

4). The same Management is also responsible for running the Bazaar Gurdwara in the City Centre. Arguably, that area is also “unsafe” for the congregation and probably sees even fewer congregation numbers coming to worship there. There is also a severe lack of parking at that Gurdwara. So does that mean that the Management Committee and Trustees may also sell that Gurdwara in due course?

It must also be noted that the reasons that have been quoted in this petition have been derived from what has been indicated on Social Media. The Trustees and Management Committee have not provided any notice of the Sale or the reasons associated with the Sale to the Saadh Sangat. The land that the Gurdwara is built on was provided by the Government for a place of worship. Surely the Gurdwara Management Committee owes an explanation to the Saadh Sangat - who have lost their beloved place of Worship.

It is deeply concerning that this Management Committee and its trustees did not feel the need to inform the Saadh Sangat about its intentions. What is the reason for the secrecy? Why the lack of transparency? The lack of accountability is a major cause for concern.

If we are to go by the argument that “Congregation numbers have dwindled” then there are several Gurdwaras in Kenya that can be used as examples where there is a very small Sikh population around that area and yet the Gurdwaras are still running and have not been sold.

The most well-known example of them all is Sikh Temple Makindu which has been attracting Sangat from all over the world for decades. Sangat has to travel great distances to get there. It is a Gurdwara that is out in the middle of the African Wilderness and yet has always been considered “safe”.

Sikh Temple Nanyuki is being managed by one Sikh family that lives in that area. If just one Sikh family can keep their beloved place of worship running, why can the current Management of Gurdwara Juja Road not run the Gurdwara?

Sikh Temple Kitale is still operational despite there being very few Sikh families in Kitale. And yet, the Gurdwara is still there and operational for Sangat that wish to go and worship there.

Sikh Temple Thika has even fewer Sikh families living in Thika in comparison to Juja Road Gurdwara and yet they have recently performed the opening ceremony of a beautiful new Gurdwara Darbar Sahib.

The same can also be said of the Sikh Temple in Kericho where there are very few Sikh families living in the area. And yet there is a beautiful Sikh Temple there that is running quite successfully.

In Meru, the Sikh Temple there is managed by families from Nairobi that have to travel for 4-5 hours to run and operate that Gurdwara. And yet, the congregation numbers are not only there to worship, but they have also made wonderful improvements to the Gurdwara in recent years.

Gurdwara Siri Guru Singh Sabha is also a prime example of a Gurdwara that is situated in the Nairobi City Centre. In recent years, that area has also become very busy with loads of traffic. Some might argue that going to that Gurdwara is also inconvenient or “unsafe” because of the area in which it is situated. However, the Management Committee there has come up with initiatives to make sure that Sangat still comes to the Gurdwara and has even used the Gurdwara assets being a Community School and more recently a hospital to supplement their income to ensure the survival and smooth running of the Gurdwara.

How do the Management Committees of all these Gurdwaras manage to grow their congregation numbers successfully & derive an income to the point that new buildings can be erected at great expense and yet Juja Road Gurdwara cannot?

When comparing the examples of all these Gurdwaras, the only logical conclusion that can be reached is that the Gurdwara is being sold simply because the current Management Committee is far too incompetent in effectively managing the Gurdwara or any of its assets. 

Before taking such a drastic step of selling the Gurdwara, was the Management of it offered to any one of the other successful Committees of other Gurdwaras to manage? Or is this incompetent group of individuals simply holding on to their positions and practising Casteism which goes against the principles of Sikhism! 

Sikh Gurdwaras throughout history and even to this day have been seen as places of refuge for members of all communities all over the world. They have been places where people can feel “safe” and at peace while on the Gurdwara premises.

In 1982, when there was a military coup in Kenya and several Indian families including Sikh families in the Eastleigh, Pangani, and other surrounding areas were displaced because their houses had been looted and their belongings had been stolen, this very same Gurdwara Juja Road offered shelter, food, clothing and safety to hundreds of Indian families of all religious denominations that had nowhere else to go. The only place where they felt SAFE, was the Gurdwara. And this Gurdwara did not just serve as a refuge to Sikh families alone but anyone who needed help at that time.  

For a Gurdwara to be sold in this manner - saying that it is “unsafe for the congregation” is a deeply concerning matter and an unacceptable reason. If it was not unsafe for hundreds of Sikh families during an unsuccessful attempted military overthrow of the  government at that time, why would it be unsafe now?

We urge Sikhs around the world to support us by signing this petition as this sets a very dangerous precedent. Let us all come together and demand accountability from the Management Committees that manage our gurdwaras that are central to our spirituality.

The Saadh Sangat is entitled to explanations and deserves accountability. The trustees have no right to sell the Gurdwara without the support of the Saadh Sangat. Such an action should be an absolute last resort when all other attempts to run and manage the Gurdwaras and their associated assets have failed!

Our fathers and grandfathers worked tirelessly to conduct the Seva (Selfless service) to construct these Gurdwaras for future generations. We cannot allow their Seva to be disrespected and dishonoured in this way. 

We all have to unite and stop the sale of Gurdwara Juja Road!! Please support this initiative by signing this petition and forward it to as many people as you can. Let us stop the sale of the Gurdwara and its associated assets and if need be, force a change of Management of the Gurdwara so we can preserve our places of Worship. Let us hold this Management Committee and the Trustees accountable for their actions and remind them that they have no right to sell off what the Sangat has built without the Sangat’s approval first. 

 

Waheguru Ji Ka Khalsa…Waheguru Ji Ki Fateh