The First Lady of Kenya, Her Excellency Rachel Ruto, visited the Nairobi campus of Aljamea-tus-Saifiyah on 13th January 2026. During the visit, she interacted with women of the community and engaged in a tete-a-tete with young students. After a brief tour of the campus, she delivered a speech highlighting the strong bonds of friendship between Kenya and the Dawoodi Bohra community.
In her address, Her Excellency greeted and thanked her host, Her Eminence Aaisaheba Joheratussharaf Saifuddin, consort of His Holiness Syedna Mufaddal Saifuddin, as well as the attendees who included faculty and students of the community.
She went on to say:
There are moments when a place speaks before a person does. Standing here at Aljamea today, one immediately feels the presence of faith, discipline, and purpose—values that are not displayed but lived.
I bring you warm greetings from His Excellency, President William Ruto, who sends his sincere appreciation to the Dawoodi Bohra community for your long-standing contribution to our nation and for the values you continue to uphold. He deeply values the relationship between the Government of Kenya and this community, and he conveys his respect and goodwill to Her Eminence and all gathered here today.
For many years, I would pass by the Dawoodi Bohra community in Karen, seeing it from the outside without truly knowing the life within. What I have encountered is not simply a place, but a way of life, one marked by togetherness, order, and quiet self-sufficiency. I was struck by how the community lives, learns, worships, and works together, from schools and homes to the mall, all rooted in shared values and mutual responsibility. It left a lasting impression on me and a deep appreciation for the strength that comes from unity.
Kenya is honoured by the frequent visits of His Holiness, Dr. Syedna Mufaddal Saifuddin. His Holiness’s presence in our country year after year speaks to a bond, a bond that is neither symbolic nor seasonal, but enduring. The values he champions, faith expressed through service, discipline anchored in compassion, respect for human dignity, care for women and families, commitment to education and peaceful coexistence, are clearly reflected in the Dawoodi Bohra community across Kenya. These values are not declared loudly; they are lived daily.
Ladies and gentlemen, I have long believed that the strongest partnerships are not built on documents, but on shared values. When I look at the work led by Her Eminence and this community, I see priorities that resonate deeply with my own. Women empowered with dignity. Education is grounded in values. And development that is thoughtful, practical, and human.
The Dawoodi Bohra community has stood with us in ways that truly matter. As the saying goes, the measure of any society is how it enables people to stand on their own feet. Through your support for the Joyful Women program, you have worked with us not merely to provide assistance, but to restore the confidence, independence and opportunity for the women in Kenya.
On 16th June last year, during the day of the African Child celebrations at Unoa Comprehensive School in Makueni, I was deeply moved by what I saw as I walked into the classrooms, which were in a bad state. The children’s playground was covered in dust and sand. Seeing the conditions in which these children learn and play left me with more questions than answers about the environment that we are providing for them. Since then, I took an initiative in partnership with the government, which has taken deliberate steps to address this challenge. A borehole has been installed that already serves the community, a water tank put in place, and grass planted where children will now play safely, freely, and with dignity.
It is in this spirit that I wish to thank the Dawoodi Bohra community for your investment in education. Asante sana for your contribution to the development of Unoa Comprehensive School, with similar support soon to follow at Bondoco CMO and Sugoi Comprehensive Schools. The renovation of Unoa Comprehensive School, nearing completion in just six weeks, reminds us that when a community truly values education, it shapes the future long before policy ever does. Education is not only a social good, it is the foundation of stability, responsibility, and progress across generations.
Aljamea itself stands as a symbol of this philosophy. It represents faith that looks outward. Knowledge guided by ethics. Young people prepared not only for success, but for service. Institutions like this strengthen a nation quietly, through character, conduct, and conscience.
Ladies and gentlemen, allow me to say this clearly and with pride. Kenya values the Dawoodi Bohra community. Allow me to repeat this: Kenya values the Dawoodi Bohra community. You are not visitors to this nation. You are part of its social fabric. Your commitment is not occasional, it is consistent. It is felt in our neighbourhoods, our schools, and our community initiatives, like you have just seen at Unoa and soon to be Sugoi and Bondoco CMO.
In a world that often grows louder and more divided, communities like yours remind us that faith, when lived with discipline and compassion, can still be a force for unity.
Kenya is integral to the Dawoodi Bohras, and the Dawoodi Bohras are integral to Kenya. This is a relationship built over time, through trust, friendship, and shared responsibility. This relationship has been built over time through trust, friendship, and shared service.
Your Eminence, I want to thank you personally for your leadership. You lead with grace, clarity, and purpose. Through your example, I have come to know a community that believes deeply in the principle that service is the highest call of leadership.
As we look ahead, I do not come with new promises. I come with confidence in friendship that endures. values that align, communities that continue to stand together for the good of our nation.
Thank you for welcoming me so warmly. I leave here today with deep respect, sincere gratitude, and renewed faith in the shared path we walk together. Asante sana. Thank you very much.
