All calculators

Zakat Calculator — Kenya

Calculate your 2.5% Zakat in KES on cash, gold, silver and investments, with the nisab set from live metal prices. No signup, no account needed.

Ksh
Zakat due (2.5%)Ksh 2,500
Net zakatable wealthKsh 100,000
You keepKsh 97,500
Calculated live on this page · 2.5% of wealth above nisab. Open the full tool →

Who administers Zakat in Kenya?

Kenya has no government-run Zakat authority — collection and distribution is handled by community organisations. Zakat Kenya, based at Adams Masjid in Nairobi, runs four dedicated funds (Empowerment, Education, Medical and Welfare) that accept Zakat and distribute it as bursaries, business start-up support, medical costs and emergency relief. At the national level, the Supreme Council of Kenya Muslims (SUPKEM), the umbrella body representing Muslim organisations across all 47 counties, coordinates broader community affairs — halal certification, Hajj/Umrah logistics, marriage registration and interfaith and government liaison — though it is not itself a Zakat-collection agency. Many Kenyan Muslims also give Zakat directly through their local mosque or an established international Islamic charity operating in the country.

Is Zakat compulsory or tax-deductible in Kenya?

Zakat is a religious obligation on Kenyan Muslims, not a legal one — the Kenya Revenue Authority does not collect Zakat, enforce it, or offer it as an income-tax deduction or relief category, unlike some Gulf states where Zakat is collected alongside or instead of tax. Whatever you give is entirely between you, your chosen recipient organisation, and your own record-keeping; there is no official receipt scheme that reduces your KRA tax bill.

Finding the gold price in Kenyan shillings for your nisab

The Central Bank of Kenya (CBK) does not quote a gold price, but its Financial Markets department does publish official daily indicative KES foreign-exchange rates (mean, buying and selling) for major currencies including the US dollar, compiled each morning from the average rates of major market participants. To value the nisab (87.48g of gold, or 612.36g of silver) in shillings, take an international spot gold or silver price quoted in US dollars per gram and convert it using that day's official CBK USD/KES rate, or compare it against a Nairobi gold dealer's quoted shilling price for the same weight. Recalculate close to the date you assess your Zakat, since both the metal price and the shilling exchange rate move daily.

M-Pesa balances and other local practicalities

Because mobile money is so widely used for everyday savings in Kenya, a common practical question is whether an M-Pesa balance counts toward your zakatable wealth. Contemporary fiqh bodies that have examined mobile-money wallets — including international fiqh academies — generally hold that mobile money is a cash equivalent, reasoning that the wallet is simply a different storage medium for money you own and control, no different in substance from a bank balance or cash in hand; on that basis M-Pesa, Airtel Money and similar balances should be added to your cash total the same way a bank account would be, and this calculator treats them accordingly. As always, check with a scholar or Zakat body you trust if you want a second opinion for your own situation, and remember that any amount held in a foreign currency (US dollars, for example) should be converted to shillings at the same date as the rest of your wealth before you total it up.

Frequently Asked Questions

Which organisations collect or administer Zakat in Kenya?

There is no government Zakat authority. Zakat Kenya (based in Nairobi) runs Education, Medical, Welfare and Empowerment funds that accept and distribute Zakat, and SUPKEM, the umbrella body for Muslim organisations across Kenya's 47 counties, coordinates wider community affairs. Many Kenyans also give directly through their mosque or a registered Islamic charity.

Is Zakat compulsory under Kenyan law, or tax-deductible?

No. Zakat is a religious duty, not a legal one — the Kenya Revenue Authority neither collects nor enforces it, and it is not an allowable income-tax deduction or relief.

How do I find the gold price in Kenyan shillings to work out the nisab?

The Central Bank of Kenya publishes official daily USD/KES indicative exchange rates but not a gold price. Take an international gold or silver spot price in dollars per gram and convert it at that day's CBK rate, or use a Nairobi gold dealer's quoted shilling price for the same weight, recalculating close to the date you assess Zakat.

Does Zakat apply to my M-Pesa balance?

Contemporary fiqh bodies that have examined mobile money generally treat wallet balances like M-Pesa as cash equivalents, since the money is still yours and simply held in a different form — so most scholars say it should be added to your cash total the same way a bank balance would be. Ask a scholar or Zakat body you trust if you want a second opinion.

Calculate yours now →

Related calculators

Sources

More calculators