Kenya – Land of Contrasts
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Kenya gained its independence for Britain in 1963. It is a democracy with an
elected Parliament and President. The Capitol is Nairobi, built in high
country with a very pleasant climate.
The British built a railway in the late 19th century joining Mombasa with
Kisumu on Lake Victoria and extending to Kampala in Uganda and linked to
rail ferries on Lake Victoria. They also built many good roads and other
infrastructure. They also established good democratic institutions.
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Kenya has a population of approx. 30 million, made up of about 42 tribal
groups each with their own tongue. The official languages are English and
Kiswahili. The latter evolved as the trading language over past centuries
when Portuguese and Arabs dominated the coast, with a terrible trade in
slaves centered on Mombasa, the main coastal seaport.
Kiswahili is the intertribal common language. English is taught in High
Schools, but many of the poor do not speak it. Primary School education is
now free, but many cannot afford the cost of High Schooling.
While overall the nation has enjoyed peace, it has had sporadic inter-tribal
conflicts.
Nairobi has a population of about 8 million; some 2 million are slum
dwellers swollen by the poor who cannot survive in rural areas. There are a
number of other large cities, but many live on their tribal lands.
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Kenya suffers along with other African countries, having a large population
living by subsistence farming on very small allotments of land. They mainly
grow maize and some beans. In desert areas they have goats and some
cattle and sheep.
Nairobi has a prosperous middle and upper class, with many fine homes
and buildings. It also has some industry. The rural people are very poor and
struggle to maintain life by subsistence farming with famine, floods and
disease to contend with.
There is also an Indian ethnic population who own many of the businesses.
Although much of the land is very fertile, the main problem is a lack of
minerals and export commodities to drive a strong economy. So the nation
struggles with debt and relies heavily on aid from donor nations.
There are no Social Security safety nets such as pensions or help for the
sick, invalided and unemployed. As a result there are serious problems with
crime in the major cities.
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Diseases
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Kenya suffers along with the rest of Africa from a number of endemic
diseases. HIV/AIDS is taking a terrible toll with one in five believed to be
infected in some areas. AIDS awareness programs are in place to help
educate the people. Typhoid and Malaria are also endemic and Amoebic
Dysentery is also a problem. People away from the main towns have very
limited access to medical aid, and if they have no money treatment is very
difficult to obtain. Most rural families have lost children to Malaria, and many
die from Typhoid with water unsafe to drink unless boiled. TB is also a
problem among the poor and undernourished.
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Orphans and Widows
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No one knows how many orphans there are in Kenya. There are children
living on the streets of towns and cities, and found walking the country roads.
The problem is so great it seems humanly impossible to meet the needs.
There are also many widows who have large families and they live in great
poverty.
Churches have many widows and believers have, out of compassion, taken
in many orphans. Assembly Aid Abroad are attempting to help, and will
continue to expand this support as God provides. At present we are unable
to meet the needs of the growing number of churches with widows and
orphans.
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Nature and Game Parks
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Kenya has a number of game parks, the most famous being the Masai
Marah. Here are found a wide cross section of African wild animals that
amaze the visitor.
Tourism is a major income earner with the coastal strip a mecca for
Europeans to escape the winters of the North, and the Game Parks attract
visitors from all over the world.
Kenya is indeed a land of great contrasts, from its Game Parks to its
beautiful mountains and coastal scenery. Its peoples are diverse in culture
and lovable by nature. One has only to smile and wave and they respond in
kind.
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Religion
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Christianity has been embraced by many in Kenya, with Roman Catholic and
Protestant Churches represented and with a number of off-shoots from
these. However, the great need is for a plain presentation of the Gospel of
Jesus Christ so that they have not just a nominal faith, but a saving faith. The
great need is for in-depth Bible teaching.
Some 8% of the population is Muslim, living mainly on the coast, in the North
East and in Nairobi.
Spiritually, God is blessing this land with many having a great hunger for the
Word of God and finding the abundant life that is found in the Lord Jesus
Christ. God has set before us an open door and many are entering into His
kingdom. Please pray for Kenya.
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