Hajj: SUPKEM urges agents to submit pilgrims’ passport details

The Supreme Council of Kenya Muslims (SUPKEM) has notified Hajj agencies to ensure that they submit passport details for their clients who are intending to perform the Hajj.

Chairman Hassan Ole Naado said the passports have to be submitted to the council before Monday, February 9, to facilitate booking on the Nusuk Misar platform.

“I urge you to encourage pilgrims under your respective agencies to expedite the process. There is no guarantee of an extension of the deadline, and timely submission is crucial,” he said in a statement released on February 3.

The chairman said the online submission process, initiated by the Saudi Ministry of Hajj and Umrah, is already underway and is intended to upload data on the platform as part of the new process for Hajj.

For those intending to travel for Hajj, SUPKEM advised that they need to contact their agents for guidance on the passport submission process to facilitate visa issuance.

For the first time, the Hajj application process is completely digital and online. The process is undertaken through the Nusuk Hajj platform, an integrated digital system that facilitates different aspects of pilgrims’ journeys, from registration through to the selection and payment of different Hajj packages, including various accommodation options and transport within the areas of the two Holy Mosques—the Kaaba in Makkah and the Prophet’s Mosque in Madinah.

Hajj is obligatory for Muslims who have the physical and financial capacity to perform the pilgrimage. Guidelines by the Saudi Ministry of Hajj and Umrah on eligibility to perform Hajj or Umrah specify that pilgrims should be physically, behaviourally, and mentally fit. They are also required to comply with all health and administrative protocols issued by the Saudi government.

This year, an estimated 4,500 Kenyans are expected to travel for Hajj in fulfilment of the fifth pillar of Islam.