Jamia Mosque—An epic walk through a 100-year journey

Among Nairobi’s most important historical landmarks is Jamia Mosque, which is undoubtedly one of the most important Muslim institutions and symbols of Islamic heritage in East and Central Africa.

Jamia Mosque plays a central role among Muslims as a spiritual, educational, and community hub, providing religious guidance and social services, as well as serving as a nerve centre for Muslim activities in the country.

Apart from being a house of worship, the mosque provides welfare services, education support, and counselling services, runs community media platforms, and serves as a venue for important meetings and discussions.

An architectural landmark with a capacity of more than 10,000 at its peak, Jamia Mosque boasts a rich history that transcends more than a century. This year, the mosque is marking a milestone in its history as it commemorates a 100-year journey of its existence.

From a mabati (corrugated iron sheets) structure sitting on what was an inhabited swampy land a century ago, Jamia Mosque has positioned itself as one of the most influential Muslim organisations in the country.

It was September 1925, when its founder, Maulana Sayed Abdullah Shah laid the foundation stone of what would later emerge as a robust institution that has, over the years, played an instrumental role in shaping the community’s agenda and aspiration in the religious, social, and political sphere.

Jamia Mosque’s history is intertwined with the construction of the Uganda Railway, which was undertaken by the British colonial administration at the end of the nineteenth century. The project attracted an influx of workers from India to East Africa. Construction of what came to be known as the Lunatic Express started from Mombasa in 1896 and three years later reached a wet, infertile high-altitude land, which the Maasai called Enkare Nyorobi – ‘the land of cool waters’—transforming it into a railway town.

As construction progressed to the interior, the railway workers, many of whom were Muslims, established mosques along the way to cater for the religious welfare of the workers. When the railway reached Nairobi, two mosques were erected near the Railway Station in the Muthurwa area, but as the population increased, a need arose to have another mosque within the larger Nairobi area.

This is how the vision for the mosque was conceived way back in 1902 by Maulana Sayed Abdullah Shah, a highly respected Islamic scholar who arrived in the country in 1898.

Upon his request for land to construct a mosque, the colonial authorities presented him with a map of Nairobi and he was given a free hand to choose a site of his choice. His finger pointed to the middle of the map—an uninhabited swampland. Questioned by the colonial administrator John Dawson Ainsworth about his unusual choice, he answered, “The site would one day become the center of a great city.” And true to his words, Jamia Mosque today stands at the very heart of Nairobi’s bustling Central Business District, a testament to his vision.

After being assigned the land, a mabati (corrugated iron sheets) structure was constructed. This was due to restrictions during the colonial era that prevented Indian and Arab immigrants from owning land. It served as a temporary mosque and the focal religious centre for Muslims comprising Asians, Arabs, Swahili, Somali and other communities. Attempts were made to start off the construction of the mosque, but financial constraints as well as legal encumbrances proved to be a hindrance for the project.

In 1916, Anjuman Islamia Muslim Association acquired an additional plot adjacent to the original 1902 site, providing the community two adjoining plots for the future Jamia Mosque.

It was in 1925 when construction eventually started. To raise funds for the momentous project, the Anjuman Islamia Muslim Association launched a wide appeal across East Africa. Individual butchers, drivers, hotel keepers, mechanics, tailors, masons, and engineers gave whatever they could afford towards the construction process.

The mosque was designed by Scottish architect William Landels, who drew inspiration from 16th- and 17th-century Mughal architecture. His design is modeled on the Jama Masjid in Delhi, India, built by Emperor Shah Jahan, and the Badshahi Masjid in Lahore, Pakistan, built by Emperor Aurangzeb.

Construction was a painstaking undertaking, and the workers labored under the strenuous conditions. Stones were imported from India through the port of Mombasa, then transported by rail to Nairobi. From the station, Indian railway workers carried each block on their shoulders to the construction site. The mosque’s silver bulbous domes were formed from steel and copper in Britain and shipped to Mombasa and later transported to Nairobi.

During construction, the Municipal Council raised objections over the height of the minarets, forcing them to be reduced, yet the mosque still emerged as the tallest building in Nairobi at the time.

After eight years of strenuous efforts, the mosque was completed in 1933 and was officially opened on Friday, August 18 of that year, in a grand ceremony attended by thousands of Muslims—Asians, Arabs, Swahilis, Somalis, Nubians, and others—who marched in a procession from the Indian National Bank, now the Kenya National Archives. The mosque was officially opened by Sayyid Khalifa bin Harub, the Sultan of Zanzibar.

Jamia Mosque quickly became a religious and social center for the growing Muslim community through the pre- and post-independence years. Religious studies which were taught in Urdu, Swahili, Arabic and Somali became a central part of the mosque activities

Its iconic structure, striking domes and minarets have, for the past 100 years been among the most important landmarks of the Kenyan capital. Because of its historical significance, Jamia Mosque is a protected site as per the National Museums and Heritage Act.

Through the support of the Sheikh Zayed bin Nahyan Charitable and Humanitarian Foundation of the United Arab Emirates, the mosque was later extended in 1998 into a modern wing, which among other amenities includes a multipurpose hall, Library named after its founder Sayed Maulana Abdullah Shah, a media centre housing the Friday Bulletin and Horizon Television, an infrmation centre and education facilities. The adjacent Jamia Plaza as well as the Jamia Mall are among other buildings that form the mosque complex.

Over the years, Jamia mosque has hosted important dignitaries; the most prominent include former Uganda President Idi Amin Dada who visited the mosque for Friday prayers in November 1975, former President of Comoro Ahmed Abdallah Sambi and former head of state Uhuru Kenyatta. Other prominent figures who have signed the mosque’s visitors book include Dr Zakir Naik founder of Peace TV, Keith Ellison the first Muslim American congressman, Dr Abu Ameenah Bilal Phillips founder of the International Open University, and the legendary Muslim icon, the late Ahmed Deedat of South Africa.

Throughout the 90s and the 21st century, Jamia has become the focal place where Muslim religious, opinion and political leaders meet to discuss important affairs of the community.

A century after its founding, Jamia Mosque continues to position itself as a monument to the faith, resilience, and foresight of its founders, whose efforts and sincerity have seen the institution standing as one of the most influential and recognized religious centres not only in Kenya but also in East and Central Africa and beyond.