Islam in Kenya

Bakari, Mohamed and Yahya, Saad S.: Islam in Kenya. Mombassa: MEWA Publications., 1995. xiv, 339 pp.

This book, edited by Mohamed Bakari and Saad S. Yahya of the Departments of Linguistics and Land Economics, respectively, at the University of Nairobi, is the proceedings of a National Seminar on Islam in Kenya, held in Mombassa, April 1994.

This seminar was held to correct the distorted picture that Islam has played an insignificant role in Kenyan society. To the contrary, Islam had made an impact at all levels of Kenyan society long before the dawn of European colonisation. This was reflected in the choice of themes for the seminar, ranging from education to social change, perception of the Muslim community, and other issues.

The book consists of an introductory and twenty-five other chapters, that were categorised into six broad themes. These are: (1) The Muslim community, (2) The perception of Muslims in the wider society, (3) Intellectual and cultural traditions, (4) Economic development, (5) Social change, and (6) Education. The contributors were drawn from diverse fields such as the academic, public service, the private sector and from both Muslims and non-Muslims to make it as representative as possible.

Section One on the Muslim community, consist of seven essays ranging from S.R. WaIjFs chapter on the Isma'ïli community and its adaptation to social change and the institutional mechanisms for these changes. She also dwells on the contribution this community has made to development in Kenya. The Islamisation of the Luo of Nyanza Province is outlined by Ahmed S. Said, whilst Baia KariuM discusses the factors that led to the Islamisation of the Kikuyu in Nyeri. He argues that the Kikuyu converts were not influential in their society and that their initial conversion was social, rather than religious. Dr Yusuf A. Nzibo concludes that the expansion of Islam into the interior of Kenya was individual...