Ramadan timetable 2027 in Nairobi: calculated times
In Nairobi, the Ramadan timetable 2027 consists of all the imsak and iftar times of the fasting month, expected from 8 February to 8 March. On the last day of the table, imsak is set at 05:21 and iftar at 18:47.
Ramadan 2027 is expected to start in Nairobi on Monday 8 February, with imsak at 05:21 and iftar at 18:52. The first fast therefore lasts 13 h 31, and the Kenyan capital's position just south of the equator keeps that figure almost unchanged.
| Day | Imsak | Fajr | Sunrise | Iftar (maghrib) | Isha | Fasting time |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Day 1 – Mon 8 Feb | 05:21 | 05:31 | 06:42 | 18:52 | 19:59 | 13 h 31 |
| Day 15 – Mon 22 Feb | 05:22 | 05:32 | 06:42 | 18:51 | 19:56 | 13 h 28 |
| Day 29 – Mon 8 Mar | 05:21 | 05:31 | 06:40 | 18:47 | 19:52 | 13 h 26 |
Calculated estimates (18°/17° (MWL)). The IslamicFinder widget above shows today’s times; check with your local mosque.
An equatorial fast with almost no drift
Nairobi sits barely 1.3 degrees south of the equator, so the length of daylight hardly moves between February and March. The table above shows 13 h 31 on day 1, 13 h 28 on day 15 and 13 h 26 on day 29.
That five-minute shortening is the opposite of what happens in Europe or North Africa, where fasts grow by an hour or more. Here the southern summer is ending, and days are slowly contracting towards the March equinox.
Imsak, fajr and sunrise on day 1
On Monday 8 February, imsak is set at 05:21, ten minutes before the fajr prayer at 05:31. That margin is a precaution: suhoor should be finished by imsak, so that eating stops comfortably before true dawn begins.
Sunrise follows at 06:42 and maghrib, the moment of iftar, arrives at 18:52. Isha is shown at 19:59, which gives families roughly an hour after breaking the fast before tarawih prayers start in most of the city's mosques.
Why Nairobi eats later than the coast
Kenya uses East Africa Time, three hours ahead of UTC, across the whole country. Nairobi lies about three degrees of longitude west of Mombasa, so the sun sets roughly ten minutes later there, and every prayer of the day shifts accordingly.
Calculation method and the Kenyan announcement
The times here follow the Muslim World League convention, with fajr at 18 degrees and isha at 17 degrees below the horizon. Calendars printed by Nairobi mosques may differ by a few minutes, so a local timetable is worth keeping nearby.
The beginning of the month is announced by the office of the Chief Kadhi after the crescent watch. Kenyan Muslims, particularly on the coast, have sometimes started a day apart from neighbouring countries, depending on local sightings of the moon.
Key dates of Ramadan 1448 in Kenya
If the crescent is seen on Sunday 7 February, the first tarawih takes place that evening and the first fast on Monday 8 February. Should the moon remain hidden, the whole calendar shifts one day later, starting on Tuesday.
The twenty-seventh night, widely observed as Laylat al-Qadr, is expected on the evening of Friday 5 March 2027. Eid al-Fitr should then fall on Tuesday 9 March, or on Wednesday 10 March if Ramadan completes thirty days.
Iftar around Eastleigh and the city centre
Eastleigh, the busy commercial district east of the centre, comes alive at sunset, with street vendors selling samosas, sweet tea and dates. Jamia Mosque, beside the City Market in central Nairobi, draws large congregations for tarawih throughout the month.
Kenyan Muslim households often break the fast with dates and water, then serve dishes influenced by Swahili coastal cooking, such as pilau, biryani, mandazi and spiced chai. Somali families add their own specialities, including sambusa and sweet halwa.
Weather in February and March
Late February is usually one of the drier, sunnier spells in Nairobi, with afternoon temperatures in the mid to high twenties. The long rains generally arrive towards the end of March, so the final days of Ramadan may turn wetter.
Nairobi survival tips
Traffic jams are a major part of city life, and the rush before iftar can be intense on the main roads. A little planning helps commuters, students and visitors to reach their table before the call to prayer.
- Leave work early enough to beat the evening congestion.
- Carry water and a few dates in case maghrib catches you in a matatu.
- Drink regularly between iftar and suhoor, as afternoons are warm and dry.
- Check your nearest mosque for its tarawih schedule.
Will the fast get longer during the month?
No, it gets very slightly shorter. Between the first and the twenty-ninth day, Nairobi loses five minutes of fasting, from 13 h 31 to 13 h 26, because imsak barely moves while maghrib slips back from 18:52 to 18:47.
Is suhoor at 05:21 every day?
Almost. Imsak stays between 05:21 and 05:22 for the entire month, which makes Nairobi one of the easiest places in which to keep a fixed alarm. Only a local mosque calendar might move it by a minute or two.
Does altitude change the times?
Only marginally, and the table above does not adjust for it. At around 1,800 metres above sea level, however, the city enjoys warm afternoons and fresh mornings, which makes a pre-dawn meal wrapped in a jumper quite normal in February.