Kikuyu

Early in the colonial period, the Kikuyu lost land to European settlers and missions, and many came to see missionaries as allies of those taking their land. In 1920, a mission decided to discipline church members who practiced female circumcision, a rite of passage into adulthood that the Kikuyu considered part of their culture. In 1929 and 1930, the dispute reached a breaking point: the Kikuyu opened their own schools, and independent churches followed. Many who opposed the way missions operated wanted to keep their Christian faith. The schools of the KISA association, for example, gave rise to the African Independent Pentecostal Church.

Today, the main Kikuyu occupations are trade, farming and raising livestock. They grow potatoes, bananas, maize, beans and vegetables, as well as tea and coffee for sale, and many keep dairy cattle. One well-known dish is githeri, made with maize and beans.

Social life begins with the family unit (nyumba), which expands through marriage. Several related families form the clan (mbari) and the neighborhood (itura). In the past, the council of elders, the kiama, was responsible for law, order and community decisions. Women made kiondo baskets from shrub bark and clay pots for cooking, storing grain and carrying water.

The vast majority of Kikuyu are Christian, with a strong evangelical presence; a minority follows Islam or traditional religion. In central Kenya, churches linked to the early missions coexist with independent churches established by Africans, including Pentecostal and Orthodox churches.

In Kikuyu tradition, Ngai, the one creator God, lives on Mount Kenya. Prayers and sacrifices were offered at sacred places, such as hilltops and beneath certain trees, and traditional healers (mundu mugo) were consulted about the future and for healing. In Murang’a, Mukurwe wa Nyagathanga, where Gikuyu is said to have built his home, is considered sacred and has been officially recognized as a cultural site.

The language changed so much over the years that a new Gikuyu Bible translation was needed. Work began in 1983, was completed in 2002, and the translation was released in 2008. It uses the Gikuyu spoken today, in simple, easy-to-understand language, and was a success as soon as it was released. The earlier, more literal translation was also printed in large type for those who find reading difficult.

For many Kikuyu, the Christian faith arrived alongside the loss of their land: missions received land taken from the Kikuyu and were seen as allies of those who took it. Colonizers and some missionaries also treated the Kikuyu understanding of Ngai as a rudimentary concept, very simple and undeveloped, and this provoked resistance. A 2023 study argues that those who teach the Bible to the Kikuyu need to understand their practices and culture, so that faith can be lived as something that belongs within their culture rather than something foreign.

A large proportion of Kikuyu are evangelical, and one need is to prepare and send Kikuyu Christians as missionaries to other peoples of Africa. This calls for a willingness to learn other languages and respect communities with different histories. Within their own people, Bible teachers need to understand Kikuyu culture and the memory of colonization so that their teaching is meaningful in family life. Kikuyu churches and families also need revival.