Kenya Religion

What are the Main Religions in Kenya?

No overview of Kenya religion would be complete without stating that Kenya is a secular country and as such, does not have a state religion.

It is in light of this that the country's constitution guarantees its citizens freedom of worship, a provision which is largely respected by both the government and the general public.

Kenyans are therefore free to choose their religions although many tend to follow the religion of their parents. Kenyans' religious affiliations are enumerated below:

• Protestants - 45 percent
  
• Roman Catholic - 33 percent
  
• Muslims - 10 percent
  
• Indigenous - 2 percent
  
• Others - 2 percent
  

Protestants

Protestantism is the largest Kenya religion.

It was introduced in the country on the advent of colonialism. The Anglican Church of Kenya (ACK), headed by Archbishop Eliud Wabukala, is by the far the most established Protestant denomination.

It has recently gained worldwide fame for threatening to break away from the Anglican Union whose spiritual leader is the Bishop of Canterbury, Rowan Williams. This is over what it sees as toleration of homosexuality in the Church following the consecration of Gene Robinson as the Bishop of New Hampshire in the US.

The main ACK church is All Saints Cathedral located on Valley Road.

There are also a series of protestant evangelical churches. These include the Pentecostal and Baptist Churches and the Winners' Chapel.

Homegrown Protestant churches in Kenya include the Presbyterian Church of East Africa (PCEA) and the African Inland Church (AIC).

Roman Catholicism

Roman Catholicism is the religion that commands the second largest following in the country. It is part of the worldwide Roman Catholic Church whose spiritual leader is the Pope.

The head of the Roman Catholics in Kenya is Cardinal Njue. The main Catholic cathedral in the country is the Holy Family Basilica located in the city center, adjacent the Intercontinental Hotel.

Maurice Michael Otunga was the first cleric from Kenya to be ordained cardinal of the Roman Catholic Church. He died in 2003 and in 2005, Kenyan church leaders requested Pope Benedict XVI to begin the official inquiry that would lead to his beatification and eventual sainthood. Islam

Islam was introduced in Kenya by Arab traders who settled at the coast in the eighth century.

The Sunni and Shia paths of Islam are well-represented in Kenya. Although the majority of Muslims in Kenya are Sunnis, the Shias (particularly the Ismailis whose spiritual leader is His Highness the Aga Khan) are quite influential.

This religion is particularly strong in the coast and North Eastern Provinces of the country. However, Nairobi also has a sizeable Muslim following and its Jamia Mosque in the heart of town is a famous Muslim rendezvous.

Although Muslims have often complained of state harassment, Islamic courts called Kadhi Courts are the only religious courts provided for in the Kenya Constitution.

The body that governs Muslim affairs in the country is the Supreme Council of Kenya Muslims (SUPKEM) and it is currently chaired by Prof. Abdul El-Busaidy.

Indigenous Religions in Kenya

Rituals, particularly animal sacrifices are an important aspect of indigenous religions in Kenya. There are different rituals for different occasions namely; birth, death, marriage, and harvest.

And, like the conventional religions, they imbue their followers with a sense of morality. The supernatural being in African religions is often a supreme God or several gods for various aspects such as harvests and life.

Nevertheless, indigenous religion is viewed with a lot of suspicion and is frequently equated with the loathed devil worship in the country. Ironically however, many of the country's Christians still carry out some of the traditional rituals.

Other Kenya Religions

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