Before missionaries arrived with Christianity and traders brought Islam inland, the people of Kenya already lived within rich, coherent systems of faith. Their religions were not codified in scriptures but woven into everyday life—embedded in land, family, birth, death, and the rhythm of the seasons. Each community, from the Kikuyu and Kamba of the highlands … Read more
A Rift in the Mission Compound In 1929, a storm rolled through the Kikuyu highlands that was not of thunder but of words and wounds. Missionary compounds, long the hub of new schools, clinics, and churches, became battlefields in a cultural war. At its center was a single practice: female circumcision — irua in Kikuyu, … Read more
The Arrival on the Monsoon Winds Long before Nairobi was a swamp or Mombasa a fort, the Indian Ocean carried dhows on seasonal monsoon winds to the East African coast. Alongside cloth, spices, and ceramics, the Arab and Persian sailors brought with them Islam. By the 9th century, Muslim communities dotted the coast — in … Read more
The Akurinu Church has often stood apart—not by accident, but by intention. With their distinctive white turbans and robes, their presence in Kenyan society has long invited curiosity and misunderstanding. To understand the Akurinu is to trace a path from Mount Kenya’s sacred traditions to 20th-century prophecy, from the communal ethics of the Gikuyu to … Read more
The East African Revival was not born in a cathedral. It began on hospital floors, in missionary dormitories, and under the weight of spiritual fatigue. It was neither an official reform nor a planned campaign. It was, at its heart, a protest—a cry of hunger from within a suffocating church, ignited by an unusual intimacy … Read more
Christianity has played a pivotal role in shaping Kenyan culture since its introduction by European missionaries in the 19th century. While it contributed to advancements in education, health, and governance, it also disrupted indigenous belief systems, cultural practices, and traditional leadership structures. This article explores the historical spread of Christianity in Kenya, its influence on … Read more