ISLAM IN KENYA

Introduction

Our paper presents a brief history on Islam in Kenya. We will see the historical background
of the Muslims presence, factors that lead or hindered the spread of Islam and the
organizational aspect of the Muslim communities after the country’s independence. We will
point out the Muslim community’s political contribution. We will pay attention to the
political aspects, because, Islamic presence in Kenya is not just a matter of numbers. Its
influence has been felt throughout the course of Kenyan history. From the time of the
presence of Muslim Arab traders on the Eastern African coast to the present day, Muslims
have asserted their influence in Kenyan politics and in the society.
The disadvantages are nothing compared to the advantages for both the Muslim and non-
Muslim population. Swahili as a language has played an important role in uniting the Kenyan
people. The language in itself is not seen as a Muslim language but a common language to all
the Kenyan tribes. In fact Swahili as a language gives a Kenyan a sense of belonging, not
only to a small nation but to an entire Eastern African region.

Historical background

The Kenyan coastal area came in contact with Islam as early as the tenth century as attested
by archaeological evidence and that when Moroccan Muslim traveler, Ibn Battuta, visited the
Eastern African coast he found that there was an existing Muslim presence.
Having had contacts with Arab traders for a long time, Eastern African cities flourished in
their economic prosperities till the coming and the occupation of the Portuguese in the 16th
and 17th centuries. The Portuguese presence was not in any way a blessing to the local
population. The conflicts between Christians and Muslims led to the decline in economy of
the area making the local people to have nostalgia of the Arab presence. So they solicited the
help from them which at last came from the sultanate of Oman.

1. Factors that led to the spread of Islam in Kenya:

The 16th Century saw the establishment of the Portuguese powers on the coast, but the 17th
century saw its decline. Arab Authority was finally restored and after a century of
independent coastal Arab settlement, a partial political unity was established during the rule
of Seyyid said of Oman (1806-1856)1
The first presence of the Portuguese in the Eastern coast of Africa dates back to the time
when Vasco da Gama (a Portuguese explorer) set foot in it in the year 1498. The cities along
the coast were busy in trade and this impressed Vasco da Gama. After his return to Europe he
sent the fleet with a command to force the sheikh to submit and pay tributes. Worst was the
attack by Francisco Almeida who is said to have captured the Eastern coast of Africa and
even went to storm, capture and destroy Mombasa, leaving the city a wreck, its streets piled
with over 1,500 corpses.2 With the experience from the Portuguese, the locals who were used
to peaceful co-existence with the Arab traders would later accept the Islamic political
organization as means of protection and for economic prosperity. It is reported that when the
Portuguese arrived in the Eastern coastal cities, they found that the cities’ economic
achievement was that of urban policies whose prosperity lay not in production but exchange.
Kilwa in the south, Pemba and Mombasa in the north: these were ‘city empires’ in the same
sense of medieval Venice or Genoa. Their genius lay in the buying and selling.3 Owing to the
negative experience of the presence of the Portuguese, the coming back of the Muslim
authority in the person and authority of the Sultan of Oman helped in the spread of Islam
since the locals saw the Muslims as friendly in contrast to the Portuguese.

1.2 Omani Sultanate in Zanzibar

The establishment of the Oman Sultanate in Zanzibar helped in the spread of Islam right from
the time of its establishment to the present time. In the 19th Century Sayid Said Ibn Sultan
moved his capital from Muscat in Oman to Zanzibar. His movement was not as such towards
the spread of Islam but to guarantee security for his commercial activities for trade in ivory
and slaves of which he owned some caravans.

1.3 Strategic position of the Eastern African Coast

The Eastern African coast played a very important role in the trade and facilitating the
contacts between Arab traders and the local coastal communities. These Arab traders found it
easy to carry out their trade by sea rather than by land. The natural phenomenon helped in
their flow of the trade to and from Eastern Africa. The winds in the first half of the year blew
to Africa and to Arabia in the second half of the year respectively. Having to live almost half
a year carrying out trade, the Muslim traders lived their daily requirements as Muslim,
observing moments of prayer and other obligations. The local communities could see their
seriousness in observing them and could be moved in personal way to adhere to this new way
of life.

1.4 Trade

The presence of the Muslims on the coast of Kenya was not primarily to spread Islam but
rather trade. Those Africans who travelled for the trade with the Arabs used Swahili as
language for trade and some of them returned as Muslims. Trade between the local people
and the Arab traders could happen only with a common means of communication between
the two groups. Kenya being a country of many tribes needed a language that can unite. In
fact Swahili as a language spread faster than Islam. It is true that even now, businessmen
dealing with petroleum products are Muslims of Somali origin and they have spread to the
various parts of the country and wherever they settle a simple mosque is set. Even if they are
as few as five people they put loud speakers and call for prayers.

1.5 Arabs and Bantu Intermarriage

Arab presence on the coast dates back to the 7th Century A.D and most of them came as
individuals and not as families unlike those who entered North Africa and to Sudan. The
situation of being there as individuals and not as families, favored their intermarriage with
Bantu women. This intermarriage did not only help in the establishment of Islamic families
and hence society, but also the coming to being of a language that has become an Eastern
African language- Swahili. The community which came up because of this intermarriage is
called Swahili. The community will later be an important group in the welcoming and
propagation of Islam.
1.6 Colonialism

The coming of the Europeans in the nineteenth century was of a disadvantage to the Muslims
communities on the coast and on the other hand an advantage towards the spread of Islam to
the interior. The initial British administration was confined to the coastal region between
Mombasa and Rift Valley. The protectorate was administered from Zanzibar, where the first
commissioner Sir Arthur Hardinge lived, a clear sign that the Islamic community under the
Sultan had established administrative structures. The British unlike the Portuguese
recognized the existing order and incorporated in their administration which will be seen later
in the negotiation on the future of the Mombasa Islamic community in post independent
Kenya.
Europeans employed Muslims as their laborers going with them to the interior parts of the
country. British having colonized Muslim and non-Muslim countries, acted like a pollination
agent by bringing in some Asians, for the construction of the Kenya Ugandan Railway. “Most
of the Kenyan Asians are Sunnis among whom; the Hanafi school of Law is wide spread.
Many of the Imams in the country’s mosques are of Indian or Pakistan Origin Enjoying a
superior economic position, the Asians have contributed funds to the building of mosques and
were an important factor in the spread of Islam in Kenya.”4
Though Muslim saw the coming of the Europeans as a threat to the spread of Islam, it was
during the colonial period that the spread of Islam managed to go the interior part of Kenya.
With road and railway network, the movement to the interior part of the country was made
easy.

2. Islam into the interior

It is clear even to date that Islam encountered difficulties in entering into the interior of the
country owing to many factors making it an urban phenomenon. This is because of the nature
and structure of the local communities with varied belief systems bounding every member.
And of utmost important was the means of transport and prevalent hostilities from the tribes.
The attempts to spread Islam to the interior came with the possibility to communicate with
the building of the railways and the roads. Even though communication with the interior was
improved with the putting up of the infrastructures, the spread of Islam was met with
resistance due to the fact the societies had their own unique structure from each other and
these made it difficult for Islam to penetrate. It is noted that the spread of Islam to the interior
was more individual effort than communal.
There are other regions of the country where they never heard of Islam. While towns along
the railway line, especially in the western Kenya, have a number of Muslims because the
railway builders brought with themselves Islam from Asia, most of them being Indians and
Pakistanis.

3. Tribal affiliation as hindrance to the spread of Islam

Most of the tribes in Kenya had traditional forms of government led by council of leaders;
hence power did not rest on one individual, unlike in places where they had a king whereby if
the king converts then the subjects must follow. These made the conversion to Islam difficult.
Within a tribe there are other sub-divisions called clans. If one, then, is to convert to Islam
and has to observe all the religious obligations stated by religion then he has to cut himself
off from the society. Many tribes resisted conversion to Islam leaving it as an individual
adherence, hence making it impractical in the rural areas where much was communal.
4. Composition of Islamic Community

Muslims are concentrated in some areas of the country making their political weight felt
within those areas and also in the entire state. From the results of the census of the year 2009,
Muslims are 4,304,7985 which translates to 11.15% of the Kenyan population. About 50% of
the Muslim population lives on the coastal strip while the rest is spread within the country,
with the highest population of Muslims above the Coastal province, that is, in the North
Eastern province, where most of them are Somalis.
“There are also considerable numbers of Muslims in the large towns, including Nairobi,
Kisumu, Nakuru and Eldoret. In Western Kenya they are concentrated in the areas of Mumias
and Homa Bay.”6
The majority of the Kenya’s Muslims are Sunni, believed to be of the Shafi’ school. Among
them are the Swahili groups.

5. Swahili

Swahili is an important group in as far is Islam in Kenya and in Eastern Africa is concerned.
More than half of the Muslim population lives in the coastal province with the largest
community being the Swahilis. In this case, it is not the language which defines ones identity
as a Swahili but the fact of having Arab origin.
“The Swahili in Mombasa area are categorized into loose confederation of twelve groups
(Miji Kumi Na Miwili or Miji Ithna’ashara). The twelve groups are further subdivided into
two sections: one section is composed of nine groups living in the north Mombasa (Miji
Tisa); the other is composed of three groups living in South Mombasa (Miji Mitatu). Each
group is headed by a leader whose title is tamin and who is assisted by a council of elders
(Wazee).”7 Swahili groups in Kenya take themselves as a special group with its origin being
Arabia. The colonialist treated them as a unique group and that is why, at the eve of Kenya’s
independence, the Swahili groups were supporting the movement calling for autonomy.
There are other groups like the Arabs or those who claim to be descending from the Arabs,
who support the autonomy movement. The Somalis occupy the North Eastern part of Kenya
and some suburbs in Nairobi. Each group has its own particular and specific differences.
These minor differences deal with the areas of prayer, like the annual observance of fasting.
Some of the groups hold that Friday prayers should be chanted, while others hold that the
daily afternoon prayers should be chanted. As for the beginning of the month of Ramadan,
there is always disagreement throughout Africa concerning the day of the commencement of
the fasting period.

6. Islam in the Independent Kenya

Even before Kenya’s independence, Muslims made their presence and importance felt. In the
referendum of 1959, Muslim majority of the North Eastern province voted to secede and join
the Somali people in the neighboring country, with whom they identified themselves better
than with the Christian majority of Kenya.
Mombasa, the main city on the coast of Kenya (which at a certain time was part of the
Sultanate of Zanzibar), wanted its own autonomy from the mainland on account of their
Islamic background. There was fear that, if Kenya became independent, it would adopt a
secular constitution which would not have respected the right of the Muslim population. Even
during colonial time, when Kenya was a British protectorate, Sultan of Zanzibar had to be
consulted in matters pertaining to the Muslims in the Coastal region of the country. It is
claimed that the introduction of the official implementation of the personal status law in the
Kenyan constitution was because of the agreement made with the Sultan of Zanzibar and the
colonial masters in exchange of the coastal territory of Mombasa. These would later cause
disagreement and historical misunderstanding in the formulation of the new constitution from
which a cross section of Kenyan Christian denominations fought to exclude anything
religious, while the Muslim demanded the Personal Status Law Courts known as Qadi’s
Courts. In fact, it was in the eve of independence that a recommendation was made by a
certain Sir James Robertson that Kenya’s new constitution should include “guarantees of
human rights and freedom of religion, including the Muslim’s right to follow the Shari’a law
in matters of religion and personal status.”8
Kenya gained her independence in 1963, with Mombasa being part of the Kenyan
government territory, dashing out the hope of autonomy of the coast. “Independent Kenya
abolished the traditional administrative posts held by Muslims, such as the liwali, the akida,
and the mudiir, which were considered remnants of the Zanzibar Sultanate.”9
When the Islamic community did not succeed to secede and join the neighboring country
(Somalia), its leaders decided to adopt a friendly attitude towards the government, so that this
would take care of the Muslim community needs. They, then, decided to form organizations.

7. Muslim organizations

When Kenya became independent it prohibited the formation of political parties based on
religion. Muslims on their part as well as Christians had to resort to other ways of organizing
themselves in order express their views. They formed Muslim organizations of which we will
mention some.

7.1 National Union of Kenya Muslims

In response to the Islamic community desire to guide and protect the rights of its members,
National Union of Kenya Muslims (Nukem) was established. Nukem was established in 1968
aimed at uniting Muslims in Kenya with a hidden agenda of taming Ronald Ngala, whom
they claimed he wanted to become a leader of the region, yet he was a Christian. Ngala was
one the leaders of Kenya African Democratic Union (KADU), a party which was dissolved
after independence and its leaders joined Kenya African Union (KANU).
“Another factor that prompted the formation of Nukem was the concern that the government
of independent Kenya would accede to the demands of some parliamentarians and public
figures and repeal customary laws and religious laws, imposing one secular law on all
citizens.”10 Knowing that they were a minority and the law making organ of the government
will be responsible in making new laws or repealing the existing laws with their democratic
power, Nukem had to play a role in safeguarding Muslims rights, in particular the personal
status law. Nukem was to check any attempt by other religious faith as what was seen as
interference with Islam. “In January 1993, for example, Amin al Hinawi, Nukem’s chairman
in the Coastal province, sharply criticized a statement by the Catholic archbishop Otunga
warning against the expansion of Islam in Africa”11
Nukem acted as a link between the Kenya Muslim community and the Arab Muslim world.
The organization had connection with Saudi Arabia which funded some projects of the
Muslim communities in Kenya. It also had and maintained relations with Libya in the 1980s.
7.2 The Supreme Council of Kenya Muslims (Supkem)

Supkem was established in 1973, ten years after independence. The organization was aimed
at promoting Muslims interests with closer ties with the government. Among the leaders were
cabinet ministers serving in the government. This gives a clear idea that they wanted to
champion Muslims interests within the government circles. At the time, Muslims individuals
were trying to heal the wounds of suspicion which existed just before and after independence,
when they wanted to secede or have their own autonomy. Leaders in Supkem encouraged the
Muslim community to obey the Authority. It was noted that “During their conferences, and
indeed at every opportunity, Supkem’s leaders emphasize that Muslims should declare their
absolute loyalty to the president, his government and Kanu Party,”12 This might have been an
opportunistic way of the leaders to maintain their seats and influence within the government
rather than the Islamic teaching of obedience to Authority. Even if it might be individualistic
means of acquiring or remaining in power, this attitude has enabled them to occupy important
posts in the government and to influence government policies demonstrating that they could
be trusted.
Supkem organized meetings yearly. In the beginning the meetings were attended by leaders
only, but, after two years, the leaders decided to ask for legal advice in the preparation of
their constitution. This led to improved representation of Muslims. Women had their place in
the running of the affairs of the organization. Though it was not a political party, the leaders
could not avoid representing their people politically owing to the fact that their leaders also
held posts in the government. They organized occasional meetings between the people and
the president. This was an occasion to express the needs of the people to the head of state.
Supkem, playing their cards well with the government, took care of their subjects, “obtaining
scholarships from Arab-Muslim countries such as Egypt, Kuwait, Libya, Saudi Arabia, and
Sudan as well as Islamic organization such as the Islamic Development Bank, the Arab
league, and the organization of the Islamic Conference (OIC).”13
Supkem has been active in the field of education for its members. They implemented
education policies, by recruiting teachers from Arab countries and they organized fund
raisings (Harambee) for the construction of learning institutions.
Due to their political affiliations to the then ruling Party Kanu, Supkem was not spared
criticism by those who felt that the organization should have been neutral.
Within the multiparty era, Muslim leaders even those in Supkem, joined in the criticisms of
the government concerning issues affecting the Muslim community, for instance continuous
conflicts and lack of security in the North Eastern province.
There were also internal conflicts, in which some groups within the Muslim communities
were not satisfied with how Supkem offered leadership and opportunities to all members.
Many felt that the party leaders were leaning more towards the whims of the government and
not representing their people as they should.
In order to push for their political rights, they felt that there was need to form a political
party, taking advantage of the open window in the introduction and acceptance many political
parties.

7.3 The Islamic Party of Kenya (IPK)

In December 1991 Kenya, yielding to the pressure from within and without to allow the
formation and the presence of many parties, scrapping the section 2A of the Constitution held
after the attempted coup in 1982. The pressure to allow many parties mounted on the then
president, Daniel Arap Moi, who had ruled the country for thirteen years through a single
party system. In January the following year, there came the establishment of The Islamic
Party of Kenya (IPK) announced in Mombasa. Muslims activists championed for IPK
recognition as a political party, but it was denied registration. At this time, in the eve of the
first multi-party general elections, IPK supporters became a political force in the Coastal
province. Having been refused to register as a political party by the government, IPK
conducted mass demonstration across the city. Its proponents campaigned against Kanu and
in favor of the opposition because they were denied registration. However, despite these
sentiments of revenge against the government, some influential individuals within the then
ruling party managed to rally the people behind Kanu making it win seventeen out of twenty
and seven out of ten parliamentary seats in the Coastal and North Eastern provinces
respectively.

Conclusion

Generally we can say that the minority Muslims in Kenya has contributed a lot towards
Kenyan politics. The intention might not have been shared by all the Kenyan people but their
presence in government circles has been a blessing. Muslims decided to protect their rights
and hence formed organizations to express their demands and in a clever way always leaned
on the side of the government, gaining favors from it. There are a number of Muslim
individuals who made their contributions, Mahmud Mohamed being one of those who
contributed to have upheld peace within the Country. Having been from a Somali
community, the relation between Kenya and Somali is crucial for the stability of Kenya. We
would say that the involvement of the Muslim legislatures in the formulation of the Kenya’s
constitution helped a great deal to pass the new constitution with the upholding of the
personal status law in the retaining of the Qadi’s law courts.
The suspicion which was being felt by the non-Muslim leaders in the government at the eve
of independence diminished as the years went by. Muslim leaders on their part, given
political responsibility have carried it out diligently and courageously. Hence we cannot deny
or ignore the contribution of the Muslim community in governance and administration, even
if the inner intention of their participation might have been towards the preservation of the
rights of their people.
Four successive governments, under Kenyatta, Moi, Kibaki and currently Uhuru, have shown
their commitment towards empowering the Muslim community and even entrusting them
responsibilities in government’s roles and services towards all the Kenyan citizens.

Fr. John Kipkemoi Korir, mccj

Selected Bibliography
ODED, Arye, Islam and Politics in Kenya, London: Lynne Rienner Publishers, 2000.
DAVIDSON, Basil, Africa: History of a Continent, London: Wiedenfeld & Nicolson, 1966.
UCHEWE, Raph ed. et Al, Africa Today, 2nd edition, London: African Books, 1991.
HUXLEY, Elspet, Africa and Asia: Mapping Two continents (History of Discovery &
Exploration) London: Aldus Books Ltd. 1973.
CARL, G. Rosberg, “Kenya”, Encyclopedia Americana vol. 16, 1977, Print.
Other Sources:
http://www.scribd.com/doc/36670466/Kenyan-Population-and-Housing-Census-PDF,
11/05/2013.
Notes
1
Rosberg, G. Carl “Kenya” Encyclopedia Americana Vol 16, 1977, page 373e. Print.
2
Elspeth Huxley, Africa and Asia: Mapping Two continents(History of Discovery &
Exploration) p. 184.
3
Basil Davidson, Africa: History of a continent, p. 203.
4
Arye Oded, Islam and Politics in Kenya, p. 1.
5
Cf. http://www.scribd.com/doc/36670466/Kenyan-Population-and-Housing-Census-PDF on
Religous affiliation, p. 33, 11/05/2013.
6
Arye Oded, Islam and Politics in Kenya, p. 12.
7
Ibid., p. 12.
8
Arye Oded, Islam and Politics in Kenya, p. 64.
9
Ibid., p. 65.
10
Ibid., p. 22.
11
Ibid., p. 22.
12
Ibid., p. 23.
13
Ibid., p. 23.