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GEOGRAPHY

Area 582,646 sq.km. Most people live in the fertile plateaus of the south and west. Much of the north and east is desert. Only 9.5% of the land is cultivated.

High growth rate rapidly slowing due to impact of AIDS.

Capital Nairobi 2,300,000. Other major city: Mombasa 600,000. Urbanites 21%.

PEOPLES

122 ethno-linguistic groups.

Bantu 68.2%. 49 peoples, largest: Kikuyu 6.8mill; Luyia(5) 4m; Kamba 3.9m; Gusii 2.19m; Meru 1.9m; Mijikenda(9) 1.43m; Taita(3) 330,000; Embu 316,000; Kuria 209,000.

Nilotic 26%. 21 peoples, largest: Luo 4.8m; Kipsigis 990,000; Turkana 584,000; Nandi 550,000; Maasai 522,000; Teso 279,000; Tugen 274,000; Pokot 263,000; Elgeyo 233,000; Samburu 170,000; Sabaot 158,000; Marakwet 90,000.

Cushitic 3.2%. 17 peoples, largest: Somali 580,000; Boran(5) 364,000; Oromo(2) 80,000; Rendille(2) 49,000.

Khoisan 0.3%. 12 peoples.

South Asian 0.7%. Mainly Gujarati, Panjabi and Cutchi.

Other 1.6%. British, etc. 90,000; Arab 89,000.

Literacy 78%. Official languages English, Swahili. All languages 61. Languages with Scriptures 16Bi 6NT 9por 17w.i.p.

ECONOMY

Predominantly agricultural, light industries, and a major tourist industry. Post-independence stability aided good growth until 1976. Recession, foreign debt and mismanagement have eroded this. The venal elite has little interest other than in retaining power and amassing wealth. The endemic corruption is gradually ruining the infrastructure, devastating whole industries and drying up the flow of tourists and foreign finance. A large landless, poor underclass is becoming increasingly restive and violent. HIV/AIDs is widespread and the death rate climbing with 14% of those aged 15-49 infected. HDI 0.519; 136^th/174. Public debt 53% of GNP. Income/person $340 (1.1% of USA).

POLITICS

Independent from Britain in 1963. Virtually a one-party state for much of the time since then. President Moi's Kipsigis-favouring government has successfully held foreign creditors at bay, subverted any opposition and marginalized the major ethnic groups – the Kikuyu, Luo and Luyia. Kenya's future is not good unless there is meaningful change.

RELIGION

There is full freedom of religion and much of the population professes to be Christian – including many in leadership.

There has been no nation-wide analysis of religions or a denominational survey since 1972, so many figures are approximate.

Missionaries from Kenya
P,I,A 673 in 53 agencies to 17 countries: Kenya 608, Tanzania 22, Uganda 21. (Statistics are incomplete.)

Missionaries to Kenya
P,I,A 2,274 in 175 agencies from 30 countries: USA 1,332, UK 243, Germany 141, Korea 117, Canada 102.

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Answers to Prayer

1 Kenya's continued key role as a solid base for Christian ministry to Africa and the world.

2 Kenya has 36%, or 13 million, Evangelicals – Africa's second highest percentage and nearly equal to all Evangelicals in Europe.

3 The growth of a missions vision in Kenya's churches – an outworking of GCOWE 1997 in South Africa and the 1998 National Consultation in 1998. The latter launched Finish the Task 2000 for reaching 22 of the country's remaining unreached peoples. All of these 22 were targeted and half were engaged by 2000.

Challenges for Prayer

1 Praise God for the great freedom to preach the gospel since independence, for the receptivity of the people and for the exciting growth of the Church. Over four-fifths of the population claim to be Christian, and Christians are found in every level of society. Pray that Christians may bring truth and moral uplift to the nation as it edges to the brink of political disaster with possible economic collapse and inter-ethnic conflict. Pray also for peaceful change and a democratic government, responsive to the deep needs of the people.

2 The rising level of human rights abuses, suppression of dissent, ethnic discrimination, and corruption needs to be challenged. Some Christian leaders have sought to speak out against these, which has led to confrontations with the government. The National Council of Christian Churches and the Evangelical Fellowship of Kenya are internally divided on how to handle these issues. Pray that all Christians in national and church leadership may both live exemplary lives and also speak out as one against wrongs in a society that claims to be largely Christian.

3 The Protestant and indigenous churches have grown fast, and the proportion of Evangelicals is high. The East African Revival (1948-1960) made a deep and lasting impression on the Anglican, Presbyterian and Methodist Churches. The fires of revival were quenched by legalism, divisions, materialism and personality clashes. The subsequent growth of evangelical and Pentecostal churches (both international and indigenous) has been dramatic. One of the largest is the Africa Inland Church, the daughter body birthed out of the large missionary input of AIM. Few countries in Africa have been more extensively evangelized.

4 Rapid growth has brought its problems:

a) Nominalism has become a major issue, with a large number of nominal Evangelicals too. Nairobi is 80% 'Christian', but only 12% of the population goes to church. Pray for a revival to be given again.

b) Tribalism and tribal customs have caused endless divisions and a multiplicity of independent churches, some theologically orthodox, others little removed from the old ethnic religions. Pray for unity based on biblical truth that transcends culture and personalities.

c) The lack of trained leaders for the 70,000 or more Protestant/indigenous congregations gives cause for concern. There are over 60 institutions, with around 2,000 students, where workers are trained for Christian ministry. The Scott Theological College (AIC-AIM) and St. Paul's United Theological College (Anglican, Presbyterian, Methodist) are influential institutions. The Nairobi Evangelical Graduate School of Theology (with around 100 students from 18 countries), the Pan African Christian College and Daystar University College serve all of Anglophone Africa. There are also numerous TEE programmes. Pray for these, and for lives to be set on fire for God through them. Pray for more graduates to be fully and adequately supported by their congregations – a need in all denominations.

5 Missions vision has continued to grow in Kenya's churches. Over 500 Kenyans are serving cross-culturally within Kenya or abroad. Pray for:

a) The 'Finish the Task 2000' vision launched in 1998 – that churches may be mobilized and workers called, equipped and sent to the unreached.

b) The African Centre for Missions started in 1998 by major denominations, AEA and others, to research and publicize the needs.

c) Bible schools and seminaries to make the Great Commission the bedrock on which their teaching is built.

d) Efforts by the AIC, Anglicans, Baptists and various indigenous missions to undertake missions outreach.

6 Foreign missions have had a long and successful involvement in Kenya. Almost all national ministries are now operating under Kenyan leadership, whether in pioneer outreach, Bible teaching or in service ministries. Many agencies have supportive, global or regional ministries located in Kenya, which partially accounts for the high missionary population. Some major agencies: AIM (250 workers), CCCI (154), Christian Churches/Chs of Christ (118), IMB-SBC (103), YWAM (89), WGM (85), SDA (73), SIM (49), Baptist Bible Fellowship (48), Finnish Lutheran Mission (47), AoG (38), CMS (35), PAoC (34), Norwegian Lutheran Mission (28), CBI (23), IMI (23), Korean Presbyterian (23+), Finnish Free Mission (21), BCMS (12).

7 Major sectors of the population needing specialized ministry:

a) Young people. Over half the population is under 15. Youth ministries are vital. SU has made a deep impact on secondary schools. FOCUS(IFES) has lively groups in universities and colleges where over 10% of the 50,000 students are active believers. Pray for the integration of Christian students into local churches; this is not easy, but their contribution is essential. CEF has 30 fill-time workers committed to children's ministry.

b) HIV/AIDS sufferers. This disease has become a silent disaster most refuse to recognize. Churches shy away from dealing with the desperate moral and social crisis of this national calamity. There were over 730,000 orphans, and 2,100,000 (14% of the population) infected in 2000. Pray that Christians may lead in ministry in this area.

c) The large numbers of city slum dwellers – including over 60,000 children living on Nairobi's streets.

d) Muslims. Islam has long been more passive and marginalized in Kenya than elsewhere in Africa, but this is changing. The coast and NW have been Muslim for centuries, but now Muslims are being more active in education, mosque-building and giving rewards for conversions of Christians. Pray for those seeking to witness to them.

8 Less evangelized peoples – about 9% of Kenya's population belongs to peoples only marginally impacted by the gospel. Both Kenya's churches and expatriate agencies are seeking to adopt and enter nearly all of these peoples. Pray for:

a) The largely pastoralist animistic peoples of the north and west who have begun to respond to the gospel – the Turkana (13% Christian), Sabaot (2%), Pokot (9%), Rendille (3%), Samburu (9%), Daasenach (0.1%), through the ministry of AIC/AIM, Anglicans and many others. Give praise for this and pray for the establishment of well-led, culturally appropriate churches. The well-known Maasai are now over 20% Christian.

b) The largely Muslim Oromo-related peoples of the northeast – the Borana and related Gabbra and Njemps (Chamus), also the Garreh-Ajuran Oromo, Orma, Malakote and Munyoyaya. Only among the Njemps (12 congregations) and the Borana are there churches (42 congregations and 6,000 Christians). Among them also live the Boni, Dahalo, Sanye and Dorobo who are descended from the Khoisan (Bushmen) and are small, largely hunter-gatherer peoples. There are very few Christians among these nominally Muslim peoples.

c) The nine Mijikenda peoples of the coastal hills. The beliefs of the Giriama, Duruma, Chonyi and Pokomo are mixed traditional and Muslim, but they also have a large minority of Christians. The Digo, Segeju, Upper Pokomo and Bajun are more strongly Muslim and Christians are few. Pray for those seeking to reach them.

d) The coastal Swahili and Arab population which is strongly Muslim. Most are unreached, but Southern Baptist missionaries have seen church multiplication in the largely Muslim city of Mombasa, with over 10,000 baptisms since 1985, many of them from a Muslim background.

e) The Somali in the northeast and cities. The five clans of Somalis are all Muslim. A number of Christian workers (AIC/AIM), SIM, CBIM, Baptists, Sheepfold Ministries and Mennonites) are reaching these people and there is a steady trickle of new Christians. There are three small groups and less than 100 believers.

f) The Asian community is Muslim, Hindu, Jain, Parsee and Sikh. Their main languages are Cutchi, Gujarati and Panjabi. They are prominent in trading and private industries, but feel insecure and threatened as scapegoats in Kenya's declining economy. Some have become Christians through the ministry of IMI and Sheepfold Ministries. There are now 7 or more congregations, Fellowship Bible Church is one of the strongest. ASCKEN is a partnership of Asian, African and international ministries seeking to reach all of East Africa's Asian population.

9 Bibles and Bible translation. Most languages have part of God's Word, and 12 indigenous languages have the whole Bible. Pray for:

a) The valued catalytic ministry of the Bible Society (UBS) in translation, revision, publishing and distributing the Scriptures.

b) SIL with 129 workers, together with the related but indigenous BTL have 13 active language projects. SIL also serves many churches and agencies in all of East Africa.

c) Living Bibles International, which has translation projects in seven of Kenya's languages.

10 Supportive Ministries:

a) Aid programmes through many agencies such as TEAR Fund, WVI, etc., have played a significant part in opening the way for the gospel in arid and famine-stricken areas. Pray for those involved in a hard and difficult ministry.

b) MAF, with 76 workers, has a well-developed ministry, flying to many parts of East Africa and northeast Congo from their base in Nairobi. Without this ministry, much Christian work would come to a halt. AIM-Air also has an extensive flying programme in the region.

c) GRN has recordings available in 174 languages.

d) The JESUS film has been widely shown and in 2000 was in circulation in 20 languages with a further 16 in the process of being done.

e) Christian radio. There are many Christian programmes aired on the national radio and TV networks, and a Christian radio station may be established. FEBA-Seychelles broadcasts ten hours/week in Swahili and has an estimated audience of 650,000. TWR-Swaziland has a further 9 hours in Swahili and 20 hours in English. Both FEBA and TWR have studios and offices in Nairobi.

11 Nairobi is a key hub for ministry in Africa and beyond. Many international Christian organizations have their continental offices based there. The Ecumenical AACC (All Africa Conference of Churches), the AEA (Association of Evangelicals of Africa) and PACLA are a few of these. AEA has played a key role in promoting evangelical unity and ministries in theology, training, literature and fellowship. Pray for this work and its extension through Africa.

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