Kenya, Muslims in …

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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

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 Guide for Kenya:

* 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.

Background on Kenya (World Factbook)

Founding president and liberation struggle icon Jomo KENYATTA led Kenya from independence in 1963 until his death in 1978, when President Daniel Toroitich arap MOI took power in a constitutional succession. The country was a de facto one-party state from 1969 until 1982 when the ruling Kenya African National Union (KANU) made itself the sole legal party in Kenya. MOI acceded to internal and external pressure for political liberalization in late 1991. The ethnically fractured opposition failed to dislodge KANU from power in elections in 1992 and 1997, which were marred by violence and fraud, but were viewed as having generally reflected the will of the Kenyan people. President MOI stepped down in December 2002 following fair and peaceful elections. Mwai KIBAKI, running as the candidate of the multi-ethnic, united opposition group, the National Rainbow Coalition, defeated KANU candidate Uhuru KENYATTA and assumed the presidency following a campaign centered on an anti-corruption platform.

Economy of Kenya

The regional hub for trade and finance in East Africa, Kenya has been hampered by corruption and by reliance upon several primary goods whose prices have remained low. A severe drought from 1999 to 2000 compounded Kenya’s problems, causing water and energy rationing and reducing agricultural output. Growth lagged at 1.1% in 2002 because of erratic rains, low investor confidence, meager donor support, and political infighting up to the elections. The World Bank suspended aid for most of 2006, and the IMF has delayed loans pending further action by the government on corruption.

Statistics on Kenya

Population: 37,953,838 — See note below (July 2008 est.)

Life Expectancy at Birth: 56.64 years

Ethnic groups: Kikuyu 22%, Luhya 14%, Luo 13%, Kalenjin 12%, Kamba 11%, Kisii 6%, Meru 6%, other African 15%, non-African (Asian, European, and Arab) 1%

Religions: Protestant 45%, Roman Catholic 33%, indigenous beliefs 10%, Muslim 10%, other 2%
note: a large majority of Kenyans are technically Christian, but estimates for the percentage of the population that adheres to Islam or indigenous beliefs vary widely

Languages: English (official), Kiswahili (official), numerous indigenous languages

Literacy: 85.1% male: 90.6% female: 79.7%

Population Notes: Population estimates for this country explicitly take into account the effects of excess mortality due to AIDS; this can result in lower life expectancy, higher infant mortality and death rates, lower population and growth rates, and changes in the distribution of population by age and sex than would otherwise be expected.