Africa | East Africa

Kenya

Population

56,215,000

Religion

Christianity (82%)

Christians

45,891,000

About Kenya

Kenya, in East Africa, is famed for its scenic landscapes and vast wildlife preserves. Its Indian Ocean coast provided historically important ports for centuries. Along that coast are predominantly Muslim Swahili cities such as Mombasa. Inland are populous highlands famed for tea plantations and a variety of wildlife. Kenya’s western provinces, marked by lakes and rivers, are forested, while a small portion of the north is desert and semidesert. Tourism is an important contributor to Kenya’s economy.

Prayer Points

Add your voice!

45,104

200,000

Sign the Arise Africa Petition in support and advocacy

We’re calling upon the global community to ensure that Christians and other vulnerable individuals in Sub-Saharan Africa are treated with dignity and respect.

State of Religious Freedom

The government generally respects the constitutional guarantee of freedom of religion, however there are some serious concerns related to Freedom of Religion or Belief.

Open Doors reports: Christians living in and around the north-eastern part of the country live with the fear that they can be targeted at any time. Hotspots for attacks by al-Shabaab include Mombasa, Mandera, Garissa, Wajir, Lamu and Tana River. Many Christians have decided to leave these areas and move to the center of the country. Christian women and girls face multiple forms of pressure and violence in Muslim-majority regions. Christian boys and men in the northeastern region face the greatest danger of physical assault, forced conscription and execution at the hands of radical Muslims and al-Shabaab. Whilst instances are rare, men are also more likely than women to be imprisoned for their faith.

Freedom House reports that counterterrorism operations against the Somalia-based al Shabaab militant group have left Muslims exposed to state violence and intimidation.

In May 2023, following the discovery that hundreds of followers of a religious cult had died of starvation, President Ruto established a task force to review the regulation of religious organizations to address cults and extremism. In August, the government banned five churches including Good News International Ministries, whose followers had died of starvation in May.

Politics

Kenya holds regular multiparty elections. However, pervasive corruption and brutality by security forces remain serious problems. The country’s media and civil society sectors are vibrant, even as journalists and human rights defenders remain vulnerable to restrictive laws and intimidation.

Since the nation’s founding in 1964, tribal-based politics have continued to serve as the dominant political trend in the country. However, the new Constitution in 2010, the peaceful elections of March 2013 when Uhuru Kenyatta (the son of Kenya’s first president) won the vote for the presidential office, and the devolution of power into a county system, have all helped mitigate some of the tension arising from the ethno-based politics.

Against a backdrop of serious socio-economic challenges, the increasing incursions of al-Shabaab militants and the general instability in Somalia is a major security concern, particularly in the light of the attacks in 2013 – 2015 in Nairobi and the north-east, especially the attacks on the Westgate shopping mall in September 2013 and Garissa University in April 2015.

Further suspected al-Shabaab attacks were reported in June 2021 as Kenya continued its military operation in Somalia. In June 2021, the USA approved sending special operations troops to collaborate with Kenyan government forces combating al-Shabaab (The Citizen, 13 June 2021).

On 9 August 2022, Deputy President William Ruto won presidential elections with 50.49% of the vote. Opposition leader Raila Odinga came in second with 48.85%. Odinga rejected the outcome, leaving the Supreme Court to decide the elections. They affirmed Ruto’s win and was satisfied that the conduct of the election and declaration of the results met the requirements of the Constitution. (Source: Carnegie Europe, 6 October 2022)

References:

Brittanica | Freedom House