Cultural Centres in Lamu

Habib Swaleh’s House: A Doyen of Islam

All that building known as the “House of Habib Swaleh Bin Alwi Jamal Al-Layl”, or more simply as “Nyumba ya Habib Swaleh”, situated in Riyadha, was gazetted as a National Monument on March 31, 2021. Its former occupier, Habib Swaleh, was, in all probability, one of the most influential reformers Lamu has yet been blessed with. He is a well-known Sufi in Lamu Archipelago, perhaps more than any other Sufi. This is in so far as Maulidi Festival is concerned. He introduced the enduring form of Maulidi al-Habshy to Lamu in the late 19th century and his reformation was by far the most important factor in opening up Islam and Islamic education to the descendants of slaves and the unprivileged Wagema (the coconut-tappers).

In doing so he changed local Islam from an exclusive religion for the privileged (Arabs and Waungwana) to an all-inclusive one which integrated people from all ethnic and social backgrounds. By such means, too, it meant that Maulidi Festival, which he introduced on the island, was a medium for social reform and symbol of social change. His lineage half completed his acclaim. Swaleh was a high-born of the Seyyid family, Jamal al-Layl, who are descendants of the family of the Prophet Muhammad. The word Habib is a title used in the Hadhramaut as an alternative to Seyyid I Sharif to note a descendant of the great Prophet, more so after his death.

This branch had produced a number of famous scholars who had migrated to many parts of the world including the Comoros and South East Asia to countries like Indonesia. They are also present in Hadhramaut and the Hijaz. An ancestor of Swaleh, Harun bin Abdul Rahman, had settled in East Africa earlier, making Pate home. His great grandson, Ahmed, moved from Pate Island to Comoro Islands, where both Swaleh and his father, Alawi, were born. Another remote ancestor is said to have voyaged from Hadhramaut and settled in Siu on Pate Island. From Siu another kin had moved to Anjouan in Comoros. Swaleh’s yenning for the simple lifestyle of Lamu was on the heels of his allied sheikhs who had settled in Lamu.

These were his uncles: Ali Abdullah J al Layl, Muhammad bin Fadl, Alawi bin Abu Bakr al Shatiri and Seyyid Mansab. According to some scripts, in 1866 the young shariff [Habib Swaleh] of around fifteen years of age, arrived in Lamu from the Comoros. Still, the exact date of his arrival at Lamu is arguable, but at the time of his death, Habib Swaleh is said to have been probably over eighty years. His age when he first arrived in Lamu from Comoros is said to have been about thirty. This sets the date of his arrival anywhere from 1860 to 1880 although local assessment is that he arrived thirteen years earlier. This coincides with the anecdote of his arrival in 1870, then 17 years old, for medical treatment and stayed with his uncle,

Ali bin Abdullah Jamal al-Layl, who had migrated to Lamu and settled there in 1847. Habib Swaleh studied under his uncle’s tutorage as well as several other leading teachers. He acquainted himself with the views of the natives and was readily accepted. According to the chronology, the young Swaleh returned to his father in the Comoro Islands. On return he expressed a desire to pursue studies in Lamu. A fellow kin of the clan, Mwenye Ba-Hassan Jamal al-Layl, convinced his father to allow Swaleh to settle in Lamu based on Ba-Hassan’s opinion that his son had a promising future and would become an important figure in the society.

In Lamu, his major influences became: his uncle, Ali Jamal al-Layl, who taught him traditional medicine; Alawi bin Abu Bakr al-Shatiri, who taught him interpretation of the Holy Quran; Abu BakrMuawy, who taught him Arabic and the science of metrics; and finally, Habib Abu BakrMansab who taught him the science of hadith. In time, Habib Swaleh was accepted as a qualified scholar and began conducting lectures in Sheikh al-Bilad Mosque. When he had gathered some students, he read Maulidi ya Barazanji in his own house to celebrate the birth of the Prophet.

Habib Swaleh later on licensed his students to initiate Maulidi in other mosques in Lamu, the first being at Anisa Mosque followed by Bawazir Mosque. The doctrine spread to other towns outside Lamu. The first to receive this license outside Lamu was Sharif Said Al Reidh of Mambrui. After much work in evolving Islam, with his mastery of the subject earning him a rank as a doyen, on top of his geniality, Habib Swaleh died on the 2nd of Muharram, 1354 AH/ 6th of April, 1935 AD. He is buried near Riyadha Mosque next to his uncle’s grave and near to that of Sharif Mansab, a member of Al-Husain family. Processions to his tomb are done during Maulidi.

That Kenya has a rich cultural diversity needs no introduction. It is an invaluable blessing to the nation. To foster an understanding of this heritage, there are cultural centers around Kenya that provide insights into the tapestry of cultures and traditions in their regions. These centers preserve and celebrate traditional practices and customs amidst the shift towards modernization and globalization.

Index of Cultural Centres in Kenya

Baringo County - Mogotio Equator Center, Bomet County - Kipsigis Oasis Sanctuary Culture , Kaplelach Cultural Centre , Busia County - Kakapel Cultural Centre , Garissa County - Garissa Cultural Centre , Isiolo County - Gotu Cultural Centre , Malka Cultural Centre , Kakamega County - The Nabongo Mumia Centre , Kericho County - Kipsigis Cultural Museum , Kiambu County - Gikuyu Cultural Museum, Kirinyaga County - Thingira Cultural Centre , Lamu County - Swahili House Centre , Mosque College Lamu , House of Habib Swaleh , Machakos County - The Syokimau Cultural Centre, Makueni County - Makueni Cultural Center , Meru County - Murithi Mpuri Cultural Centre , Thiiri Centre , Mombasa County - Swahili Cultural Centre , Little Theatre Club , Bombolulu Cultural Centre , Ngomongo Villages , Muranga County - Mukurwe Wa Nyagathanga , Nairobi County - Bomas of Kenya, Kenya Cultural Centre, The Goethe Institut, Alliance Française, Nakuru County - Bomas of Nakuru, Nandi County - Cheruiyot Ecosystem , Nyamira County - Otenyo Cultural Centre , Samburu County - Umoja Women Village , Tana River County - Tana Delta Cultural Center , Tharaka Nithi County - Ura Gate Meru

Lamu County is one of Kenya’s most unique and enchanting regions, known for its rich Swahili culture, pristine beaches, and UNESCO-listed heritage. Located on the northern coast of Kenya, it consists of a group of islands (Lamu, Manda, Pate, and Kiwayu) and a stretch of mainland coastline. Lamu Island in particular is more than just a destination—it’s a living piece of Swahili history and coastal paradise.

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A Guide to Lamu County

A Summa Digest of Lamu

About Lamu Way Back When

70 Destinations in Lamu County , arranged as one would visit these - west, south, north then west - with aid of narratives, images, strip maps and distance chart:

Delta Dunes Lodge , Lake Moa , Old Town Witu , Witu Forest Reserve , Pangani Swamp, Lake Kiboko , Amu Ranch , Lake Amu, Kipini Conservancy , Lake Kenyatta , Amu Baharini Beach, Kizuke Beach , Lamu (Manda) Port , Red Pepper House , Lamu Island , Matondoni Dau Workshop , Matondoni Ruins , Tusitiri Dhow , Kipungani Ruins , Kizingoni Beach , Old Town Lamu, Lamu World Heritage Sector , Lamu Museum , The Swahili House Museum , German Post Office Museum , Lamu Fort , Lamu Market , Masjid Khoja Ithnasheri , Masjid Riyadha , House of Habib Swaleh , The Mosque College Lamu , Lamu Catholic Church , Tamarind Tree Cafe , Donkey Sanctuary , The Floating Bar , Boat Rides , MaraRaha , Kijani Hotel , Shela Village , Friday Masjid , Forodhani House , Peponi Hotel , Shela Beach , Bahari Restaurant , Fort at Shela , Ras Kitau , Diamond Village , The Maljis , Takwa Ruins , Manda Island , Manda Lodge , Manda Toto , Manda Coral Quarry , Nabahani Ruins , Pate Island , Shanga Ruins , Siyu Fort , Shindamweh, Atu Ruins , Chundwa Ruins , Faza Village , Lamu Monuments , Mangrove Forests , Dodori National Reserve , Kiunga Marine N. Reserve , Kiwayu Island , Ashuwei , Boni Forest National Reserve , Ishakani Ruins , Lamu Festivals

Know More About Lamu County: Its Geography, Land-Use, Highlights, Population, Roads - including distance chart, Airports, Climate & National Monuments

What’s The Air Like In Lamu?

Lamu County lies along the Equatorial Climate System, enjoying two rainy seasons and temperatures between 24°C and 30°C year round – Hottest in December & April

What’s The Lay Of The Land In C.05?

Lamu is composed of a coastal zone of 65 islands, vast creeks, bays, sand bars and mangrove. Among these, Lamu Island, hosting Lamu Town, is the bussiest. The mainland is flat to undulating.

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