Islamic Relief Kenya serves communities across some of the country’s most climate-vulnerable and underserved regions, delivering life-saving humanitarian assistance alongside long-term development programmes. Our geographic focus ensures we reach populations facing recurrent drought, fragile livelihoods, and limited access to essential services, while tailoring interventions to local realities and priorities.
We maintain a strong operational presence in Mandera, Wajir, Garissa, and Kilifi, where we implement integrated programmes in food security, water and sanitation, health, education, livelihoods, and disaster risk reduction. We also extend programming to Tana River, as well as seasonal interventions in Lamu and Kajiado, enabling us to respond quickly to emerging needs and humanitarian crises.
Through close collaboration with communities, local authorities, and partners, our work strengthens resilience, protects dignity, and supports families to build safer, more sustainable futures.
Islamic Relief was founded in 1984 in Birmingham by medical student Hany El-Banna in response to famine in East Africa. He and a group of other young Muslim volunteers raised Islamic Relief’s first funds through collections at mosques, friends and family and other Islamic associations. The volunteers secured £135,000 and established 3 international projects in Islamic Relief’s first year of operation. These were 2 chicken farms in Sudan, a shipment of biscuits and vitamins also to Sudan and a shipment of wheat flour to Mauritania.
Today Islamic Relief Worldwide is among the world’s largest relief and development charities. With global headquarters in Birmingham, UK, we are the international office of the Islamic Relief federation, which operates in more than 40 countries. In 2022 alone, we ploughed over £193 million into emergency aid, long-term development, and campaigning for change that directly helped over 17.3 million people.
