Best Islamic Secondary Schools in Kenya: 8 Muslim Schools Compared for 2026

Updated 19 October 2026

Muslim parents in Kenya who want strong academics alongside Quran, Islamic Religious Education (IRE) and an Islamic school environment have more choice than many realise. Some schools follow the Kenyan curriculum and sit KCSE, others offer the British IGCSE and A Level route, and several combine both a full secular timetable and a madrasah programme.

Below are eight Islamic secondary schools in Kenya that we could confirm, mostly from the schools’ own websites. For each one we give the location, curriculum, what the school says about its Islamic programme and its contacts. Where we could not verify something, such as fees or boarding for boys and girls, we say so rather than guess. The list is grouped by city and is not a ranking.

In this guide

1. What Counts as an Islamic Secondary School in Kenya
2. Islamic Secondary Schools in Mombasa
3. Islamic Secondary Schools in Nairobi
4. How to Choose an Islamic Secondary School
5. How Admission Works
6. Frequently asked questions

What Counts as an Islamic Secondary School in Kenya

In practice the term covers three kinds of school:

• Muslim-founded schools on the Kenyan curriculum, which prepare students for KCSE (and now CBC senior school) while adding IRE, Quran and Arabic.
• Integrated Islamic schools, which run a full secular timetable plus a structured madrasah, often with weekend Quran classes.
• International schools run by Muslim communities, which follow the British curriculum and include Islamic studies.

Kenya is in the middle of moving secondary education to the competency-based curriculum. Since January 2026, learners leaving junior school join Grade 10 in senior school, while the last 8-4-4 classes finish Form 3 and Form 4. Ask any school which classes it is currently admitting.

Islamic Secondary Schools in Mombasa

1. Sheikh Khalifa Bin Zayed Al Nahyan Secondary and Technical School

Sheikh Khalifa opened in February 1985, about 7 km from Mombasa town on the Mombasa Malindi Highway, near NITA Mombasa along Nyali Road. The school says it was built and maintained by Sheikh Khalifa bin Zayed Al Nahyan, then Crown Prince of Abu Dhabi, as a gesture of goodwill between the United Arab Emirates and Kenya, and that President Daniel arap Moi laid its foundation stone on 27 August 1982. Its motto is Al Ilm Wal Iman (knowledge and faith), and it blends a broad academic curriculum with Islamic teaching.

• Results: the school reports a KCSE 2025 mean score of 9.6, a place among the top 20 schools nationally and first in the Coast region, with all 212 candidates scoring C+ or better
• Admission: the school says admission is selective and based on performance
• Also on site: a new junior school

2. Qubaa Muslim School

Qubaa began on 14 January 1987 inside the Qubaa Mosque premises in Majengo as a government-aided primary school, later moved to Lumumba Road and became the private Qubaa Academy in 1999, taking its current name in 2009. Since late 2013 it has been run by Turkish management. It now covers kindergarten, primary (CBE), junior school and an 8-4-4 secondary section with a boarding section, a madrasah and a mentorship programme.

• Results: the school says it has ranked fourth in the Coast region and 83rd in Kenya in recent KCSE results
• Location: Lumumba Road, opposite Jela Baridi Remand Prison, Mvita, Mombasa
• Contact: 0722 836 683 or 0786 836 683; info@qubaamuslim.sc.ke

3. Jaffery Academy Mombasa

Jaffery Academy is the school of the Khoja Shia Ithna Asheri Jamaat in Mombasa and teaches Islamic Religious Education from nursery to senior school. It follows the British curriculum: students sit the London IGCSE (Pearson Edexcel) in Year 11 and can continue to the two-year International A Level in Years 12 and 13. A Level subjects include mathematics and its branches, sciences, English, accounting, business, economics, ICT and law.

• Location: Al Sadiq Road, Kizingo, Mombasa
• Contact: 0724 257 104 or 0777 257 104; info@jafferyacademy.org; admissions@jafferyacademy.org

Comparing other options on the coast? See our list of the best schools in Mombasa County.

Islamic Secondary Schools in Nairobi

4. Bayinah Academy

Bayinah runs from crèche to A Level and teaches Quran and Islamic studies alongside the Pearson Edexcel curriculum. At Key Stage 4 students take at least seven International GCSE subjects, and the A Level programme in Years 12 and 13 includes university guidance through UCAS. The school says admissions involve an online application followed by a tour and an assessment.

• Location: corner of 1st Parklands Avenue and Maratha Road, Parklands
• Contact: 0762 686 458 or 0712 222 244; info@bayinahacademy.org

5. Nairobi Muslim Academy

Nairobi Muslim Academy’s senior secondary section is for girls and offers an integrated Islamic and secular curriculum, with IRE compulsory and weekend programmes in Quran, Fiqh, Seerah and halaqat. The school provides boarding for Muslim girls. It lists an interview and assessment for admission, and asks for the learner’s report form, birth certificate, transfer letter and NEMIS details.

• Location: Muhoho Avenue, South C, next to Masjid Nur
• Note: the school’s website was returning an error when we checked, so confirm current details by phone or in person

6. Wamy Academy (Girls High School)

Wamy Academy was established in 2014 as a private, mixed school in South B and describes itself as built on Islamic foundations, with Quran in its programme. It teaches the Kenyan curriculum from pre-school to secondary level, and its secondary section is a girls’ high school.

7. Wamy High School

Wamy High School is listed as a private Muslim boys’ secondary school off Mombasa Road at Balozi Estate, combining Islamic and secular studies with boarding. Contact it on 0792 717 082 or info@wamyhighschool.ac.ke. Its website would not load when we checked, so confirm fees and admission dates directly.

8. Kenya Muslim Academy

Kenya Muslim Academy in Kariobangi, along Outer Ring Road, is a private primary and secondary school that admits both Muslim and non-Muslim students. Its secondary programme adds Arabic and IRE to the standard subjects. We could not find a working official website, so visit or call before applying.

For more choices in the city, see the best schools in Nairobi County, and if you are weighing a British curriculum school, our overview of international schools in Kenya.

How to Choose an Islamic Secondary School

• Curriculum and exams: decide early between the Kenyan route (KCSE now, CBC senior school pathways next) and IGCSE and A Level. Switching later can be costly.
• Depth of the Islamic programme: ask how many hours a week go to Quran, Arabic and IRE, whether there is a madrasah, and whether weekend classes are compulsory.
• Boarding: several of these schools board girls only or boys only. Confirm before you plan.
• Results: ask for the last three years of KCSE or IGCSE results, not just the best year.
• Fees: few of these schools publish fees online, so ask for the current one in writing, including boarding, transport and exam fees. Our guide to senior school fees in Kenya shows what public schools charge for comparison.
• Term dates: plan admission around the Kenya school calendar.

How Admission Works

Public senior school places are allocated through the Ministry of Education’s placement system after junior school. Private Islamic schools, which make up most of this list, admit directly: you apply to the school, the learner sits an interview or entrance assessment, and you submit documents such as the latest report form, birth certificate, a transfer letter from the previous school and the learner’s NEMIS details.

Students thinking ahead to university can look at programmes at the Islamic University of Kenya and other options in KUCCPS cluster 18, which covers Islamic studies and related degrees.

Frequently asked questions

Which is the best Islamic secondary school in Kenya?

On recent KCSE results, Sheikh Khalifa Bin Zayed Al Nahyan Secondary School in Mombasa stands out, reporting a 2025 mean of 9.6 and a top 20 national place. Qubaa Muslim School also reports strong Coast region rankings. The best fit depends on curriculum, boarding and fees.

Are there Islamic girls’ secondary schools in Nairobi?

Yes. Nairobi Muslim Academy in South C runs a girls-only senior secondary section with boarding for Muslim girls, and Wamy Academy in South B has a girls’ high school.

Which Islamic schools in Kenya offer IGCSE?

Bayinah Academy in Parklands and Jaffery Academy in Mombasa both follow the Pearson Edexcel International GCSE and A Level route.

Do Islamic secondary schools admit non-Muslim students?

Some do. Kenya Muslim Academy, for example, admits both Muslim and non-Muslim students. Ask each school about its admission policy and whether religious classes are compulsory.