By Jotham Wambugu a student of the University of Kabianga who is on industrial attachment with Necofa Kenya.
The state of Religion in Kenya
The predominant Religion in Kenya is Christianity, which is adhered to by an estimated 82.6% of the total population. Islam is the second largest religion in Kenya, practiced by about 11.1% of the total population. Other faiths practiced in Kenya are Baha’i, Buddhism, Hinduism and traditional religions.
In the 2009 Census, 922,128 people reported themselves as having “no religion.”
African religions are typically based on natural phenomena and reverence to ancestors. The dead are presumed to merely transform into another state of being and capable of bringing good fortune or calamity to the living. Most religious rites are therefore centered on appeasing the dead through sacrifices and proper burial rites. The dead’s wishes must also be followed and implemented to the letter.
Followers of traditional Kikuyu religion believe Ngai resides on Mt. Kenya and say their prayers facing the mountain. Followers of traditional Mijikenda religion have holy shrines in the forest where they offer sacrifices and pray. The Maasai, Turkana, Samburu and Pokot tribes also have significant numbers of persons adhering exclusively to traditional African religion.
Missionary in Kenya
The vision of Iris Kenya ministry is to see the country of Kenya penetrated by the light of the true gospel of Jesus Christ. They desire to help bring the nation back to its Creator and rightful King (Psalm 24:1). Their vision is to plant churches wherever the Lord opens doors for them to do so, and to disciple people in these churches so that God can use them to bring Change to the community they live in.
This is a Christian organization working to help communities lift themselves out of poverty, for good.
My Concern
If the Christian organizations such as the IRIS Kenya ministry and Word vision just to mention but a few can Visit Kokwa Island they can help the Ilchamus community lift themselves out of poverty.
Missionary work in Kokwa
According to Kokwa Island residents, the following are the works of the missionaries on the Island
- Visiting each household sharing the gospel with them
- Building of a church/ECD (CHI LAWRENCE MINISTRY INTERNATIONAL)
- Distributing Mosquito nets to all households at Kokwa island (God work is now ministry international USA)
- Provide clean water filter at Laruko village(God work is now ministry international USA)
- Provide drugs to kokwa dispensary (God work is now ministry international USA)
- Provide clothes/food to kokwa community (A.I.C Milimani Nakuru)
- Provided church boat as means of transport for the people (AGC Missionary)
- Distribution of tents
My Observation
During my first visit to Kokwa Island I observed and also enquired about what missionaries had done to improve lives of Kokwa Island of Lake Baringo community in semi-arid and remote Kenya. It is true that some missionaries done some work on the island but it is also true that still a lot needs to be done in the community. Having engaged in Mission work myself with the Christian Union in the University of Kabianga in several places in this country (Kenya) I saw Kokwa Island to be “ripe ground” for mission work. The community needs to be reached with the gospel especially to address social-cultural concerns like drunkenness, female circumcision also referred to as Female Genital Mutilation (FGM) and other vises. I learned from community members that alcoholism is prevalent on the island and so too the practice of FGM which is done secretly because the government has outlawed it. Government efforts and campaign against the practice have borne fruit but I also think that the community needs to be reached and engaged with the good news and the biblical stand concerning these issues. It is important for the community members to learn and understand the dangers of FGM practice to both the girl and the community. With information, education and Christianity “the mutilators will have no one to cut.” They do it for money as source of livelihood and it is therefore important that they are introduced to alternative means of livelihood with dignity.
The wooden church on the island which also serves as a nursery school during weekdays only has a roof and no walls which is not terribly bad because the area is hot. BUT, my main and urgent concern is that the toilet that was to serve the church, the nursery school and patients at the temporarily Kokwa dispensary (after the other one submerged in lake water) is still incomplete. The pit was dug but no structure built which not only denies the community toilet facilities but also poses danger especially to nursery going age children.
Brothers and Sisters, we can work through NECOFA (Kenyan) www.necofakenya.or.ke and FKSW www.fksw.org (US) NGO’s that are active on the island in bringing positive change including construction of the toilet.
This is the Only kind of Church in Kokwa island which is serving dual purpose i.e Spiritual nourishment to the few who have heard the message of the cross and Raising of young generation. (Church/ ECD)
This is the toilet which is near the Church/ECD and the temporary dispensary which no longer serves the purpose and from the look the hole was not dung yesterday. Something needs to be done.
If the community is enriched with the gospel to know who Christ is and what He can do to their lives am convicted their living standards can improve, this can change even the lives of their Children.
kokwa Island 