You will not die if you shun KFC, Coca Cola-Sheikh Njuguna
“It is painful to see that in the Muslim heartland of Eastleigh, KFC is doing good business. This is our own money going to fund the killing machines, which are decimating the people of Gaza”
Failing to take a snack at KFC or shunning a drink of Coca-Cola will not be detrimental to a person’s well-being; rather, it will contribute to financially strangling establishments that are financing the genocide in Palestine.
These remarks were made by Sheikh Ibrahim Njuguna, who urged Muslims to step up a boycott of products and establishments that are actively supporting the genocide of Palestinians by Israel.
During his Friday sermon at Park Road Mosque in Nairobi on September 26, Sheikh Ibrahim who is also the Da’wah Officer at Al Ameen Mosque, said it was an obligation upon Muslims to avoid such products, as part of their proceeds go into financing the killings and wanton destruction being experienced in Gaza.
“Will you die if you don’t eat from KFC or drink Coca-Cola? How can you have the audacity to purchase a product while being aware that you are contributing to harming your brothers in Gaza?” He wondered.
Addressing the congregation, he emotionally spoke on the painful suffering experienced by Palestinians and called on Muslims to continue their support for them through supplications to the Almighty, extending financial support through entities such as the Voice for Palestine and boycotting products of companies actively supporting the genocide.
“It is painful to see that in the Muslim heartland of Eastleigh, KFC is doing good business. This is our own money going to fund the killing machines, which are decimating the people of Gaza,” he said.
On Sunday during the Save a Life, Plant a Tree campaign or Gaza held at Uhuru Park, Jamia Mosque Imam Sheikh Jamaludin Osman issued a boycott appeal to Muslims to shun products linked to companies actively supporting the genocide. “I wish to send a message to our brothers who are still eating at KFC. I want to send a message to our brothers and sisters who are still drinking Coca-Cola. Do you wish that your money is being used to kill your brothers? Are you happy with that? We are going to boycott any business that supports the Israeli government,” he said.
The call for boycott is part of the global Boycott, Divestment, and Sanctions (BDS) movement, a non-violent campaign to pressure Israel to respect Palestinian rights under international law. The movement has gained widespread international support and takes inspiration from South Africa's anti-apartheid struggle.
The boycott has led to significant financial losses, store closures, and staff layoffs for KFC, Coca Cola, Carrefour, McDonalds, Starbucks and other Western brands in Arab countries, Pakistan, and South East Asian nations.
In Malaysia, for instance, KFC closed more than 100 outlets due to the boycott's effects. Similarly, in Indonesia, the boycott significantly hurt the brand's profits as pro-Palestinian supporters pushed for solidarity.
In early this year, KFC all its outlets in Turkey, numbering 537, were closed due to the local franchise operator's bankruptcy, influenced by a significant decline in sales caused by the boycott movement related to the Gaza conflict.
The protests reflect a groundswell of anger over the Israeli genocide in Gaza that has caused an unprecedented humanitarian crisis and mass killing of more than 70,000 civilians in the besieged enclave.
In 2022, an unrelated boycott of KFC occurred in Kenya due to public anger after it emerged that the fast food chain was importing potatoes from Egypt and South Africa and had locked out local farmers from its supply chain.