Our train is in the Limuru area of Kenya, a tea-growing zone. The Agikuyu people of the central region of Kenya had a prophet, a seer known as Mugo wa Kibiru. He could foresee the future and warn the people of the mountain of any impending danger. He once told of a people with frog-like skin and brightly colored butterflies. The central region would be invaded by these strange people, vomited from a snake that wound its way around the mountain area.

This prophecy came to pass at the beginning of the 20th century when Europeans began to inhabit the Kikuyu region and the upper lands of the central part of Kenya. The region was more attractive to them due to its fresh and crisp air and fertile soil for farming. They forcefully pushed the natives from the rich farmlands down to the semi-arid area of Ndeiya which is rocky without stable rainfall patterns. The Church of Scotland mission had settled in the Kikuyu area and was ministering to the African people as they acquired more land. The increasing European populace required a place of worship and a European farmer donated a sizable tract of land where the church would be built.

However, the Africans were not allowed to worship in the same church much as they worshiped the same God. St. Cuthbert Church was founded in 1912, in Redhill, Limuru. The initial building was constructed using corrugated iron sheets, but a gothic architectural style permanent structure was put up due to an increase in the number of European settlers. The new building had a 200-sitting capacity and the corrugated iron sheet structure was handed over to the Africans. The church compound had a graveyard that dates to around 1927; however, African elders were buried after Kenya gained independence.

As the mau mau fought to reclaim back their lands a state of emergency was declared and both Europeans and Africans stopped attending the services due to insecurity, in fact, the church for Africans was demolished and that material was used to set up a church for them in the areas for which they had been transferred to and the keys to the main church at Redhill left under the care of the African elders. Saint Cuthbert church was again reopened in 1963 and for the first time, Africans worshiped in this church.

The natives bought back their ancestral land and settled peacefully and over the years developed the church. In 1965 the Anglican Church of Kenya asked if they could also use the same facilities for their services and their request was granted. The elders came up with a schedule that served both congregants for 17 years; the Anglican Church would have their service early in the morning, followed by the presbyterian services until the Anglicans built their own church across from Saint Cuthbert in 1982. A more spacious permanent church was opened in 2004 as the congregation's membership grew over time. The old structure still stands today and is in good condition after it was renovated and funded by Redhill Foundation, belonging to one of the long-time serving African members of this church.

The next time you visit Kenya, make your way to the Redhill church and learn more about this beautiful old monument.

Christ Is the Answer Ministries (CITAM) formerly known as Nairobi Pentecostal Church was established in 1959, as a ministry of Pentecostal Assemblies of Canada (PAOC). The history of the church dates back to 1952 when Pentecostal Assemblies of Canada, John McBride came to Nairobi with a mission to establish a church that is rooted in sound Christian worship. The decision to establish the church was born out of the need to have a church that could accommodate English-speaking multiracial individuals.

Listen to find out more.

Our train is camped in the capital of Kenya at the All Saints' Cathedral. The majority of “Nairobians’ attend the Christmas carol services held at this church for one simple reason, the ORGAN. A harmonized choir and the beautiful sounds that echo the cathedral from the organ leave one with all too visible chills. 

Listen as Njoki Kahihu talks about it

Today we look at the story of one amazing female clergy by the name of Canon Emily Awino Onyango. She made history by becoming the first female Anglican Bishop in East and Central Africa. When she was appointed Assistant Bishop in the Diocese of Bondo. Cannon Emily’s appointment was unanimous by the special synod board of the diocese of Bondo. She obtained her doctorate from the University of Wales in the United Kingdom and worked under Professor J Lonsdale on the history of women’s education in Kenya, a Master’s Degree from the Asian Centre of Theological Studies, and a Bachelor of Divinity from Saint Paul’s United Theological College. Bishop Emily was appointed canon back in 2018 and had previously served in the children’s ministry in the then Diocese of Maseno South and as a deacon. Bishop Emily is a senior lecturer at Saint Paul’s university where she teaches Church History in the Faculty of Theology. She is the chair of The Africa Centre for Biblical Equity (TACBE) and as Assistant Bishop she was given the responsibilities of training clergy, women’s ministry within the Church, and gender issues, including the empowerment of boys and girls; and tackling gender-based violence. Bishop Emily has also authored and edited different books and journals. Her books include For God and Humanity: 100 years of St. Paul’s United Theological College and Gender and Development: A History of Women’s Education in Kenya.

12th September 2021 is a day to be remembered and celebrated for years to come as the Anglican Church of Kenya ordained and consecrated the First-ever female Bishop. Rt. Rev. Rose Nereya Okeno became the First Female Diocesan Bishop in the History of the Anglican Church of Kenya. This is considered a very huge milestone within the church as most top clergy positions go to men. Bishop Rose has a background in Human resource management started out as an office administrator, planning and executing administrative roles within the diocese. Bishop Rose was determined to do more for her dioceses and with no time rose up to managerial roles. She is credited for restructuring operations and leading women projects-delivery and establishing women networks within the Butere area in western Kenya. Dedication to service is her greatest value tied to her faith and it is this sheer hard work that led to her being elected for the role of Bishop making her the Female ever in the Anglican church of Kenya to be consecrated as Bishop. She serves in what is termed as one of the oldest missionary centers of Western Kenya. That is all we had for you on the African Tour Tale, My name is Kahihu Njoki.

Today’s tale takes us to Dzogbegan Monastery in Togo. This Monastic community was founded by French Fathers in 1961 and they allow guests to sleep here and also dine with monks. The monastery has a picturesque environment and you are guaranteed your peace and can also join in on the daily prayers. The Abbey en -cancalcat monks from France were sent to Togo to set up a monastery and grow the monk community in 1961, the monks were successful as they had constructed monastery buildings in a year. They commenced their outreach to the communities by engaging in agricultural activities, opening a hospital. By 1972, the monastic community-sponsored agricultural training and development programs were active in thirty villages. An agricultural training center with the specific goal of training young local farmers was established at the monastery itself. The Agricultural outreach training program takes up 10 Togolese trainees annually. The monks self-sustain through farming and value addition. When they first arrived, they cleared land and cultivated coffee and fruit, set up a fish pond, and also breed cattle. Currently, they produce jam, syrup, and marmalade. The monastery church was however completed and consecrated in 1970. Later on, a guest house was built and opened to the public. The monks provide healthcare to the surrounding villages, employment, and training in agricultural activities, and in return, the community provides grounds for retreats, recollection, and for bible liturgical sessions. You want to marvel at the good things Christianity brings forth and sit down for some peace and quiet, Togo Monastic Community might be your go-to place.

Today’s tale takes us to Nairobi, the capital of Kenya, which was known as the swampy lands back in the 1800s before the city’s development started during and after the completion of the railway line. We are looking at the Holy Family Minor Basilica cathedral, the Headquarters of the Catholic church in Kenya, and also the first stone building in Nairobi. Catholic church missionaries took advantage of the increasing number of settlers as a result of the railway construction and created a space that would fulfill their spiritual needs. The Holy Ghost Fathers of the Holy Ghost missionaries had a stone building with over 300 sitting capacities which later increased ten times more when the church was reconstructed in the 40s and 50s at the height of the liberation struggle, which caused interruptions nonetheless it was completed. The current church building was designed by the first female East African Architect, Dorothy Hughes, it stands at 98 feet tall with eight different chapels and a huge cross that cannot be missed when in the city’s vicinity. Pope John the second visited the cathedral three times, however, he designated it as a basilica during his visit in 1980. The first baptism was documented in 1906, two years after the establishment of the first church building. The first marriage was conducted in 1908, while the first group of Christians was confirmed in 1923. The Holy Ghost Fathers ran the church up until 1991, the cathedral operates throughout the week. The next time you are visiting Nairobi, make a point to visit, marvel at its amazing architecture, and say a prayer too.

Today we look at Saint Austin’s parish of the Holy Ghost Fathers situated in the Lavington area and also home to Saint Mary’s school and the birthplace of arabica coffee farming. The Holy Ghost fathers from France also known as Spiritans, came to Kenya hoping to establish missions, convert Africans into Christianity and end the slave trade. However, their mission along the coast was not very successful, as their fight against the slave trade led to the death of their missionaries since the Arab merchants were retaliating and few Africans joined in their mission. The Spiritans decided to relocate and moved up to Nairobi, where they negotiated for land to be allocated for them to set up their mission. The land was allocated in the Muthangari area in Lavington where the traditional gothic style structure stands with a tall protruding bell tower with a clock on it. The Spiritans opened this church to Africans to educate them and also convert them to Christianity. It took them time and there were many loops to jump through since they broke the laws which prohibited Africans from mingling with whites, however, they were not deterred and pressed on with the mission they were called to at Heart. It is in this same location that they experimented with Coffee farming owing to the success of their counterparts in Kilimanjaro and as they say, the rest is history.

Saint Stephen’s Church is home to some of the best Gospel artists in the country. The history of the home of African gospel inspiration dates back to 1903 when the church's foundation was laid, and timber with metal sheet roof structure was put up where the Kenyan parliament stands today. When Kenya gained her independence in 1963, the choir at saint Stephen’s church was tasked with performing their well-choreographed choral pieces to celebrate the special day that would forever change the course of the country.

Today we look at the African Independent Pentecostal Church of Africa’s cross. Abbreviated as AIPCA, it rose in defiance of the missionaries’ teachings, a section of the natives realized there was an abundance of similarities between the God the white man was preaching and the God they adored traditionally. The church has a peculiar cross or non-traditional from the usual Latin cross.

Listen to find out more about the meaning behind the Tri-Bar Cross