Ali AwDoll
Nairobi, Kenya.
Amid the glass towers and constant hum of Nairobi’s Central Business District, where office blocks, eateries, and malls jostle for space alongside street vendors, kanzu-clad traders, and suited commuters, stands a timeless sentinel: Jamia Mosque. Its three silver domes catch the equatorial sun like celestial beacons, while twin minarets pierce the skyline, a reminder of a quieter age when this Moorish-inspired marvel was not only the spiritual heart of Kenya’s Muslim community, but also the city’s tallest structure.
On October 30, 2025, exactly a century after the foundation stone was laid on September 7, 1925, Jamia Mosque marked a milestone of faith and endurance. The air filled with the scent of oud incense and the rhythm of Quranic recitations as hundreds gathered under the gleaming domes for a day of reflection, renewal, and gratitude.
What began as a modest vision in 1902, spearheaded by the devout Syed Maulana Abdullah Shah but delayed by colonial land restrictions, became a reality through collective effort. Completed in 1933, Jamia Mosque rose through the labor of Punjabi Muslims and contributions from Hindus, Sikhs, Parsees, and even the Aga Khan, making it not only East Africa’s largest mosque but also a monument to Kenya’s pluralism.
“This is more than a building,” declared Sheikh Mohamed Warfa, Chairman of the Jamia Mosque Committee, during the centenary address.
“It’s a living testament to resilience, from the hands that carried bricks from the railway station to the generations that have upheld our mission of unity and service,” Warfa said.
Flanked by Deputy Chairman Prof. Abdullatif Essajee, Treasurer Hon. Billow Kerrow, and Imam Sheikh Jamaludin Osman, Warfa’s words set the tone for an event that wove history with hope, honoring the past while embracing the future.
Echoes in Silver Frames: The Centenary Photo Exhibition
The celebrations began earlier in the week with the launch of a moving photo exhibition on October 27 by Jamia Secretary General Abdulbari Hamid, transforming Jamia’s multi-purpose hall into a visual chronicle of its century-long journey. Curated from rare archival photographs, the exhibition, running through October 30, takes visitors from the mosque’s groundbreaking amid colonial-era Nairobi to later expansions in the 1940s and 1998, when a modern wing was added to accommodate a library, vocational college (now relocated to Jamia Towers), and the weekly Friday Bulletin.
Black-and-white frames capture the awe of 1926, when Jamia towered above a nascent city, a defiant symbol of faith for Nairobi’s growing Muslim population of Indian, Arab, and African heritage. Later panels recount defining moments: interfaith dialogues after the 2013 Westgate attack, when Christian clergy joined Friday prayers in solidarity, open days inviting all faiths to explore its courtyards, and community outreach efforts, from free clinics to relief tents erected during the recent Gen Z protests to treat the injured.
Unveiling the exhibit, Secretary-General Abdul Bari Hamid said,
“Through these images, we celebrate not just our journey, but Kenya’s mosaic. This is an open invitation to all Kenyans, come and witness a century of faith, leadership, and quiet revolutions.”
Visitors lingered before poignant images: a 1933 photograph of worshippers breaking fast under Ramadhan moons, a 1998 shot of the ribbon-cutting for the new wing, and archival prints showing Jamia’s role in independence-era activism. One young man from Eastleigh summed it up, “It’s humbling to see how this place bridged divides when our country was finding its feet.”
Beyond nostalgia, the exhibition underscores Jamia’s enduring model of sustainability. Rental shops surrounding the mosque fund its social programs, from orphan sponsorships and bursaries to disaster relief, while ongoing initiatives address youth empowerment, interfaith understanding, and environmental care.
Broadcasting Faith: The Rebirth of Jamia TV
As evening descended on October 30, the celebrations shifted to the mosque’s modern wing for the unveiling of Jamia TV, a rebrand of Horizon TV. Launched in November 2023 as Kenya’s first dedicated Islamic television station, the channel broadcasts in English, Swahili, and Arabic, producing a mix of educational, spiritual, and family programming.
Cabinet Secretary for Health Aden Duale, the Guest of Honor and an avid supporter, officiated the relaunch with a ceremonial key handover.
“From its birth as Horizon, this platform has corrected misconceptions and amplified Muslim voices,” he said.
Now equipped with NewTek TriCaster systems for professional multi-camera production, Jamia TV plans to expand nationwide, competing with over 60 local broadcasters through family-friendly, value-based content. Its programming spans Quranic recitations, youth talk shows on mental health, nasheeds, and interfaith discussions, all aimed at promoting understanding.
General Manager Ali Mwachuo, who led the channel from its inception, proudly unveiled the new logo, a stylized dome merging with broadcast waves.
“We built this to own our narrative. Jamia TV isn’t just for Muslims, it’s a beacon for all Kenyans seeking meaning and understanding,” he said.
Duale’s closing challenge captured the spirit of the moment,
“Let Jamia TV shape society by championing harmony and addressing our youth’s challenges head-on.”
The rebrand dovetailed seamlessly with the centenary, symbolizing Jamia’s evolution from a historic mosque into a media powerhouse for a digital generation.
Roots of Resilience: A Legacy Etched in Marble
Jamia’s story mirrors Kenya’s own, a tale of migration, perseverance, and moral courage. Founded under colonial restrictions that barred Indian and Arab land ownership, the mosque’s construction symbolized both spiritual devotion and early anti-colonial resistance. Completed in 1933, the same year revolutionary movements stirred across the Muslim world, Jamia stood as a local beacon of dignity and defiance.
Today, it welcomes over 5,000 congregants for Friday prayers, operates health clinics that serve thousands annually, and hosts regular open days that demystify Islam for non-Muslims. Its centenary activities, including the October 11 open day and interfaith iftar, reaffirm its role as a unifying civic institution.
Looking outward, this year’s commemorations resonate globally. As 2025 marks 77 years since the Palestinian occupation and two years since the Gaza crisis, Jamia has anchored its message of solidarity in action. On November 2, it will lead the planting of 10,000 trees at Uhuru Park, symbolizing environmental stewardship, remembrance, and resistance.
“Plant a sapling so our children remember,” urged Hon. Kerrow, linking Jamia’s centenary to global struggles for justice and sustainability.
As dusk settled over the city, the adhan rose, its melodic call mingling with joyous hugs from the exhibition hall and the hum of cameras in the Jamia TV studio. The mosque’s silver domes shimmered under the fading light, not just as relics of the past, but as mirrors of a nation’s enduring spirit.
In a city ever in motion, Jamia Mosque endures, a marble-hewn promise that faith, when lived communally, builds bridges stronger than stone and outlasts every empire.