Kenya

Kenya

This East African nation, roughly the size of France, is among the poorest countries of the world. Three-quarters of the active population works in agriculture, the most important sector of the economy. The average life expectancy of Kenya’s 32 million inhabitants is 52 years. The AIDS infection rate in Kenya is very high: in 2003, 1.2 million people were officially counted as infected with the HIV virus, and the number of undetected cases is probably much higher.

Over 98 per cent of the Kenyan population is of African origin (spread across 40 different ethnic groups). In addition, Kenya is home to approximately 90,000 Indians and Pakistanis, 40,000 Arabs and 35,000 Europeans. There are at least 30 different languages and over 100 dialects spoken. The national language is Swahili, but English is spoken as the trade and administration language. About 60 per cent of the population practises traditional African animist religions, about 33 per cent is Christian, and about 6 per cent is Muslim (mostly Sunni).

The first Muslims reached Kenya as early as the 10th century. An Islamic subculture developed mostly in the coastal areas as a result of intensive commerce with traders from the Arabian peninsula. This subculture gained importance through intermarriages with African women. However, it was only in the 19th century that Islam made inroads into the interior of the land. British colonialists were the main promoters of Islamic institutions. During the colonial period, Muslims enjoyed a privileged position because they helped the British army put down local rebellions.

After Kenya achieved independence in 1963 more and more Africans who professed Christian faith attended the secular education institutions; English became increasingly necessary for a career in public service. It became easier for educated Christian Africans to gain access to leading positions than for Muslims, who remained in a more traditional, tribal way of thinking.

Facing these social changes, many Muslims felt the need to affirm their identity, leading to an aggressive Islamisation in several regions of the country. The north-eastern province of Kenya is largely Islamic today, and Islam is advancing rapidly in the east. Considerable financial support from Saudi Arabia is going to schools and hospitals, which are often used for religious propaganda.

The Kenyan constitution affirms freedom of religion as a fundamental right, and Muslims have the right to practise their own jurisdiction in the provinces dominated by Islam. Matters of civil law are therefore judged by sharia courts. The government even contributes financially to Islamic schools. Despite this, Muslims in Kenya are not totally satisfied. Some do not shrink from attacking Christian institutions to emphasise their demands. (During June 2004, Islamists burned down five Christian churches.)

Prayer points

* Pray for God’s wisdom and protection for all Christians occupying a decision-making position in Kenya, so that the government might be able to deal properly with Islamisation efforts.
* Pray for encouragement for persecuted Christians living in regions dominated by Islam, so that they may be able to continue to stand firm.
* Pray for the production and distribution of evangelistic literature in Swahili for Muslims in the Islamic provinces.

Copyright 2005 by 30-Days International. All rights reserved.