Thousands of Muslims countrywide thronged mosques to celebrate this year's Idd-ul-Adha special prayers which marks the climax of the Hajj or the pilgrimage to the holy city of Mecca in Saudi Arabia.

In Mombasa, Chief Kadhi Sheikh Hammad Kassim led the faithful in prayers and asked Muslims to uphold unity and promote their general welfare especially during this period of religious festivities.

Sheikh Kassim said the Hajj demonstrates the universality of Islam, brotherhood and equality of its followers and asked Kenyan Muslims to reach out to one another and fellow Kenyans to promote peace, unity and harmony.

The cleric in his sermon at the Mombasa Municipal Stadium, asked Kenyans to shun tribalism and sectarian interests noting that such unchecked vices could lead to the collapse of nations like neighbouring Somalia and the Rwandan genocide of 1994.

Idd is Idd-ul-Adha (the festival of sacrifice) falls on the tenth day of Dhul-Hijjah, the last month of the Muslim year, following the completion of the course of Hajj an extremely devotional course.

The climax of the Hajj is marked by offering a sacrifice  to celebrate the end of the religious obligation.

Some scholars and Muslim leaders have differed with the decision to mark the holiday on Friday, opting for Saturday instead.

The Chief Kadhi, Sheikh Hammad Kassim, had said that the he had settled on Friday after wide consultation among Muslims clerics.

But the chairman of the moon sighting committee, Sheikh Hajj Mussa Sodha and his vice-chairman, Sheikh Khatwab Khalifa said Idd prayers should be held on Saturday because it will be the 10th day of the month of Dhul Hijja.

Meanwhile, livestock traders recorded brisk business as the demand for animals to slaughter during Iddul-Adha celebrations increased.

The traders in the coastal town have constructed temporary animal pens in the Bondeni area where the Muslims faithful flocked to purchase the animals for the event.

Ismail Abdi a livestock trader from Garissa district said the goats and sheep are selling at between shs 3,500 to shs 10,000 depending on the size.

Elsewhere in Malindi, hundreds of goats were slaughtered in Malindi town to mark the celebrations.   

At the Malindi complex, business came to a stand still when hundreds of Muslims thronged the mosque.

Tuk tuk and boda boda operators made booming business to ferry the Muslims who had come from far and wide for the celebrations.