A bird’s eye view of the campus encompassing hostel facilities for both male and female students.
The Dawoodi Bohra community’s premier educational institution, Aljamea-tus-Saifiyah has been providing young Dawoodi Bohra men and women with an education based on the principles of Fatimi philosophy for over two centuries. This philosophy encompasses enduring tenets alongside the best of what contemporary disciplines offer.
The 52nd Dai, His Holiness Syedna Mohammed Burhanuddin, saw the need for a campus of Aljamea-tus-Saifiyah in Nairobi. During the celebrations of his 100th birth anniversary in 2011 (Islamic calendar), he announced the establishment of this campus.
Spanning 12 acres, the campus features 18 buildings that cover over 900,000 square feet of carpet area. Among these buildings are a masjid, a large ceremonial hall (Iwan), a dining hall (Mawaid) with an attached kitchen, a library, an auditorium, and the Mahad al-Zahra (Quranic institute). All this is in addition to the teaching block, administrative and maintenance facilities and separate male and female residences, accommodating over 1000 students.
Salient features of the campus design include:
- Fatimi Architecture: The design incorporates creative Fatimi architectural elements, layouts and motifs from North Africa, Egypt, Yemen and India, reflecting various periods of the community’s history.
- The Radiant Axis: A central corridor, known as the Radiant Axis, runs east-west alongside the sun’s daily path.
- LEED Accreditation: The campus meets the requirements for LEED accreditation, including rainwater harvesting, composting, solar heating and photovoltaic panels for energy production.
- 3- Breathing Building: The design utilises passive ventilation and maximises natural light through large-scale glazing, significantly reducing the campus’ environmental footprint.
“The quality indeed that we have seen today of the physical facilities in this complex, attest to the readiness and commitment, to the vision and mission of education in Kenya.”
Mr Uhuru Kenyatta, former President of Kenya, during the inauguration of the Nairobi campus in 2017.
In April 2017, His Excellency Mr Uhuru Kenyatta, the President of Kenya, accepted His Holiness’ invitation and participated in the campus inauguration ceremony. Accompanied by his Holiness, the president toured select buildings, where certain fundamentals of design, philosophy and culture were highlighted. After the tour, he addressed the congregation which included various foreign and local dignitaries, invitees, and community members who had travelled from near and far to attend the event.