The Dawoodi Bohras in Kenya

Adapted from the Burhani East African Sports Festival 1995 Magazine

With the guidance, permission and blessings of the Dai al-Mutlaq, the members of the Dawoodi Bohra community first came to Kenya towards the end of the 19th century, principally to engage in trade and business. They originally settled along the coast but later spread inland. Once they had settled down in this country, the community members started to congregate for religious and social functions and formed local jamaats (associations). Later on to organise the affairs of these jamaats in a better way, societies were established in different centres in accordance with the guidance and direction of the Dai al-Mutlaq.

Today, the Dawoodi Bohras, numbering about ten thousand, are settled in all parts of Kenya and are mainly engaged in business or industry.

His late Holiness, Syedna Taher Saifuddin, the 51st Dai al-Mutlaq undertook the historic visit to Kenya in 1963. He was received as an honoured guest by the then Governor of Kenya, H.E. Malcolm McDonald and government leaders including the late Hon. Tom Mboya. To the people of Kenya, His Holiness came as a harbinger of good fortune. His visit saw Kenya attain independence. During his visit, His Holiness directed followers to remain in Kenya and acquire Kenyan citizenship, thereby removing the uncertainties prevailing at the time and firmly anchoring the community to the newly born nation. He was the first Dai to ever visit Kenya and East Africa. For the followers in Kenya, the visit marked the beginning of a new era in spiritual and temporal enlightenment and progress.

Since succeeding his father in 1965, His Holiness Dr Syedna Mohammed Burhanuddin (TUS), the 52nd Dai al-Mutlaq has visited Kenya several times and each visit has been one of fulfilment of high expectations and desires of the followers leading to spiritual and material progress. In 1984, for the first time in the history of the community world-wide, His Holiness observed the Ashara Mubarakah (rites commemorating the martyrdom of Imam Hussein (AS) the grandson of Prophet Muhammad [SAW]) in East Africa and the city that was bestowed this honour was Nairobi. The same year the famed Mirasul Barakaat conference was held in Mombasa at which the landmark five-point guidance was bestowed on the Dawoodi Bohras of the whole world. The Ashara Mubarak was again observed in Kenya in 1993 and 1995 in Mombasa Town where more than 15,000 followers came from all over the world to take part.

His Holiness has always given guidance to the followers for the material betterment of the community as well as their neighbours for the common good of all the people of Kenya. His Holiness always reminds the followers of the teaching of Islam that love for the land of your abode is part of the faith and that religion is not just to pray and to fast but to strive for the betterment in this world as well as the world hereafter.