Bahá'í Faith in Kenya

The Bahá'í Faith in Kenya begins with three individuals. First Richard St. Barbe Baker took a constructive engagement with the indigenous religion of Kenyans to a United Kingdom conference on religions where in sympathy with his efforts he was presented with the Bahá'í Faith and became a convert.Citation
authors = Universal House of Justice
title = In Memorium
journal = The Bahá'í World of the Bahá'í Era 136-140 (1979-1983)
volume = XVIII
publisher = Bahá'í World Centre
pages = Table of Contents and pp.619, 632, 802-4
year = 1986
url = http://bahai-library.org/books/bw18/800-825.html
isbn = 0853982341] The second was Enoch Olinga who traveled to Kenya when he served in the British Royal Army Educational Corps. The third came twenty one years after the first and marks the arrival of the Bahá'í Faith in Kenya. In 1945 Mrs. Marguerite Preston (née Wellby) arrived in Kenya. She had been a member of the National Spiritual Assembly of the United Kingdom from 1939 through 1945 when she married a Kenyan tea grower and moved to Kenya where the couple had three children in two years and she was the only Bahá'í in the nation.cite book
last = Effendi
first = Shoghi
title = The Unfolding Destiny of the British Baha'i Community
publisher = Baha'i Publishing Trust
year = 1981
location = London, UK
pages = p. 231
url = http://reference.bahai.org/en/t/se/UD/ud-689.html
isbn = 9780900125430.]

Before becoming Bahá'ís

Following the events of World War I, where Richard St. Barbe Baker had served in France, St. Barbe went to Cambridge University and earned a degree in Forestry at Caius College. He then went to Kenya in 1920 to serve under the Colonial Office as Assistant Conservator of Forests. There he saw the wide scale deforestation going on. [Citation
coauthors = Adapted from materials provided by Stanford University, via EurekAlert!, a service of AAAS.
title = Ancient Coral Reef Tells The History Of Kenya's Soil Erosion
newspaper = Science Daily
date = 2007-04-13
url = http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2007/04/070410182848.htm] St. Barbe also intervened in a case of a colonial officer against a Kikuyu worker - taking a blow aimed at the worker which would eventually alienate him from the service. He developed a plan for re-forestation where food crops were planted between rows of young native trees. Because of lack of funds St. Barbe consulted with the Kenyans themselves, approaching the Kikuyu Chiefs and Elders, and together they arranged for three thousand tribal warriors to come to his camp and with the assistance of the Chiefs fifty were selected to be the first Men of the Trees. They promised before Ngai, the High God, that they would protect the native forest, plant ten native trees each year, and take care of trees everywhere. Immediately then leaving Kenya St. Barbe offered a paper at a Congress of Living Religions in the Commonwealth about the Bantu religion following which he was introduced to the Bahá'í Faith because of "his genuine interest in another's religion struck a sympathetic chord with the Bahá'í principles." On going to Palestine for pilgrimage he engaged leaders of religions in the Men of the Trees initiative including Guardian of the Bahá'í Faith Shoghi Effendi, the Chancellor of the Hebrew University, the Grand Mufti of the Supreme Muslim Council, Orthodox and Catholic patriarchs.

Uganda's Enoch Olinga in 1941 joined the British Royal Army Educational Corps and served in Nairobi, capital of Kenya. On return to Uganda he married and encountered the Bahá'í Faith in 1951. He would later become a Knight of Bahá'u'lláh pioneering to Cameroon, then serving on National Spiritual Assemblies and being named the youngest Hand of the Cause. For his role in waves of Knights and the pace of the expansion of the religion in Sub-Saharan Africa he was named "Father of Victories" by Shoghi Effendi. See also Bahá'í Faith in Uganda.

To Kenya and the growth of the community

After Mrs. Marguerite Preston's arrival in Kenya in 1945 the next phase of the Bahá'í Faith in Kenya was as part of the wide scale growth in the religion across Sub-Saharan Africa [cite web
title = Overview Of World Religions
work = General Essay on the Religions of Sub-Saharan Africa
publisher = Division of Religion and Philosophy, University of Cumbria
url = http://philtar.ucsm.ac.uk/encyclopedia/sub/geness.html
accessdate = 2008-04-16 ] ] there was an intensive series of plans and goals of pioneers across Sub-Saharan Africa. In 1950-1 the Bahá'ís in the United Kingdom pioneered to Tanganyika, Uganda, Kenya.cite web
url = http://www.btinternet.com/%7Eiain.s.palin/heritage/ukhist.htm
author = U.K. Bahá'í Heritage Site
title = The Bahá'í Faith in the United Kingdom - A Brief History
accessdate = 2008-02-18] For example in the 1951 Ted Cardell left on 7 October as pioneer for Nairobi after the untimely death of Mrs. Preston's husband. [Citation
last = Hainsworth
first = Philip
title = It All Began 50 Years Ago…
periodical = Journal of the Bahá'í Community of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland
year = 2001
month = May
url = http://www.bahaijournal.org.uk/BJ200105/history.htm] Though Mrs Preston herself and her eldest child were killed in a plain flight in 1952, Ursula Samandari, also a former member of the National Spiritual Assembly of the United Kingdom, was elected to the nine-member Local Spiritual Assembly of Nairobi in 1953. Later Samandari was elected to the regional National Spiritual Assembly of North East Africa (1961-70) before moving to Cameroon where she later died. [Citation
coauthors = Bahá'í International Community
title = A love for all peoples
newspaper = Bahá'í World News Service
date = 2003-07-17
location = Buea, Cameroon
url = http://news.bahai.org/story/230]

In 10 years, in early 1963, there were 118 Local Assemblies, 346 groups, and 131 isolated Bahá'ís. [ [http://bahai-library.com/?file=handscause_statistics_1953-63&chapter=1#22 The Bahá'í Faith: 1844-1963: Information Statistical and Comparative, Including the Achievements of the Ten Year International Bahá'í Teaching & Consolidation Plan 1953-1963] , Compiled by Hands of the Cause Residing in the Holy Land, pages 25 and 95] Locations for Assemblies included Nairobi, Kilifi, with smaller groups in locations like Bungoma, Busia, Eldoret, Embu, Kakamega, Kericho, Kisii, Kitale, Machakos, Malindi, Mombasa, Kisumu, Nyeri, Thika, Voi, Webuye, and Wundanyi. By the end of 1963 more Local Assemblies were formed for a total of 134. From 1959 to 1963 there were some twelve hundred converts, straining administrative oversight, for a total of 4 thousand. [cite book
author= Rabbani, Ruhiyyih (Ed.)
authorlink=Rúhíyyih Khanum
year= 1992
title= The Ministry of the Custodians 1957-1963
publisher= Bahá'í World Centre
id= ISBN 0-85398-350-X
pages = pp. 181, 188, 305
url= http://bahai-library.com/published.uhj/ministry.custodians.toc.html ] The National Spiritual Assembly of the Bahá'ís of Kenya was first elected in 1964. [Citation
title = National Spiritual Assemblies Statistics
url = http://bahai-library.org/asia-pacific/Notes%20on%20Research/national_spiritual_assemblies.htm
accessdate = from cite book
first=Shoghi
last=Effendi
authorlink=Shoghi Effendi
year=1971
title=Messages to the Bahá'í World, 1950-1957
publisher=Bahá'í Publishing Trust
location=Wilmette, Illinois, USA
id=ISBN 0877430365
url=http://reference.bahai.org/en/t/se/MBW/ ]

In 1973 the National Spiritual Assembly of Kenya produced a songbook - "Tuimbe Pamoja, Baadhi ya Nyimbo za Baha'i". [cite web
last = MacEoin
first = Denis
coauthors = William Collins
title = Music (Listings)
work = The Babi and Baha'i Religions: An Annotated Bibliography
publisher = Greenwood Press's ongoing series of Bibliographies and Indexes in Religious Studies
url = http://bahai-library.com/books/biblio/music.html
accessdate = 2008-04-06 ] In 1977 Kenya hosted an international teaching conference. [*cite book
author= Marks, Geoffry W., (Ed.)
year= 1996
title= Messages from the Universal House of Justice, 1963-1986: The Third Epoch of the Formative Age
publisher= Bahá'í Publishing Trust, Wilmette, Illinois, US
id= ISBN 0-87743-239-2
url= http://bahai-library.com/?file=uhj_messages_1963_1986 ] During the Decade for Women, 1976-86, with the continuing growth of the Kenyan community, as the population applied the Bahá'í teachings there was an effect on the social position of women - "a key factor in the involvement and participation of women," "more women serving on both appointed and elected Bahá'í institutions". [cite conference
coauthors = Bahá’í International Community
title = Activities in the Bahá'í World Community to Improve the Status of Women during the United Nations Decade for Women
booktitle = Report presented to the World Conference to Review and Appraise the Achievements of the United Nations Decade for Women: Equality, Development and Peace
publisher = Bahá'í International Community
date = 1985-07-15
location = Nairobi, Kenya
url = http://bahai-library.com/file.php5?file=bic_women_decade_status&language=
id = BIC Document #85-0715
accessdate = 2008-04-06]

In 1982, there was a satellite conference in Nairobi between Hand of the Cause William Sears and Kenyans including youth. In 1986 the Association for Bahá'í Studies for East, Central, and South Africa held its 4th Bahá'í Studies Symposium in Nairobi. [cite conference
coauthors = Association for Bahá'í Studies — Australia
title = Report on Scholarship, 1997
booktitle = Scholarship Institute
publisher = Association for Bahá'í Studies — Australia
date = 1998-04-10
location = Yerrinbool, Australia
url = http://bahai-library.com/resources/scholarship.report2.html
accessdate = 2008-04-06]

tories

Through the 1960s to the 1990s many well known Bahá'ís lived in Kenya and many reported linking their spiritual lives with Kenya as it was when it started with St. Barbe and the Prestons.

From 1966 to 1969 well known poet Roger White lived in Nairobi as a secretary for William and Margarite Sears and other Hands of the Cause in Africa, [Citation
last = Weinberg
first = Rob
title = Roger White: An Obituary, Writer and editor, "poet laureate" of the Bahá'í community
Periodical = Bahá'í Studies Review
volume = 7
year = 1997
url = http://bahai-library.com/file.php5?file=weinberg_obituary_roger_white&language= ] and also dealt with a racist theatre troupe. [cite book
last = Price
first = Ron
authorlink = Ron
title = The Emergence of a Bahá'í Conscriousness in World Literature, The Poetry of Roger White
publisher = Bahá'í Academics Resource Library
year = 2002
pages = pp. 67-74
url = http://bahai-library.com/books/white/2b.html ]

Attorney Helen Elsie Austin lived in Africa as a US Foreign Service Officer from 1960-1970, serving as a Cultural attaché with the United States Information Agency first in Lagos, Nigeria and later in Nairobi where she was also a member of the Local Spiritual Assembly. [cite web
coauthors = National Spiritual Assembly of the Baha'is of the United States
title = Selected profiles of African-American Baha'is
publisher = National Spiritual Assembly of the Baha'is of the United States
url = http://www.bahai.us/node/77
accessdate = 2008-04-06] [Citation
coauthors = Bahá'í International Community
title = Standing up for justice and truth
newspaper = Bahá'í World News Service
date = 2004-12-05
url = http://news.bahai.org/story/338 ]

In 1986 North American indigenous Bahá'í Lee Brown gave a talk which was recorded and transcribed - it includes his description of being in Kenya sometime before and linked Native American, especially Hopi, prophecies with the religion of the Kukuyu/(Kikuyu?) tribe of Kenya. [cite conference
first = Lee
last = Brown
title = North American Indian Prophecies
booktitle = Continental Indigenous Council
publisher = Bahá'í Academic Library Online
year = 1986
location = Tanana Valley Fairgrounds, Fairbanks, Alaska
url = http://bahai-library.com/talks/lee.brown.html
accessdate = ]

Artist Geraldine Robarts of the United Kingdom fled the Blitz to South Africa where she grew to adulthood and became a Bahá'í. Robarts and family fled Apartheid to Uganda where she was a lecturer in the Makerere University but then fled Idi Amin, and then came to Kenya in 1972. She taught and was head of the department of Painting at Kenyatta University. [Citation
coauthors = Bahá'í International Community
title = A "world-class" artist who straddles two worlds: painting and development
periodical = OneCountry
volume = 11
issue = 1
month = April-June
year = 1999
url = http://www.onecountry.org/e111/e11111as.htm] Starting as early as Uganda she worked with groups of artists to have their art appear in museums and developed a project for groups of women to show case their art as well as provide a mechanism for rural development work. [cite web
last = Robarts
first = Geraldine
title = Background(1)
work = Professional Website
url = http://www.geraldinerobarts.com/profile002.html
accessdate = 2008-04-06] [cite web
last = Robarts
first = Geraldine
title = Background(2)
work = Professional Website
url = http://www.geraldinerobarts.com/profile003.html
accessdate = 2008-04-06] [Citation
coauthors = Bahá'í International Community,
title = Adapted from a brochure provided by Rehema, LTD (NGO)
periodical = OneCountry
volume = 11
issue = 1
month = April-June
year = 1999
url = http://www.onecountry.org/e111/Rehema%20Brochure.htm]

In honor of the Hand of the Cause Louis George Gregory, a number of individuals in Kenya have sought to establish an Award named the Kisii Louis George Gregory Award. [cite web
last = Musta
first = Lex
title = R. Baxter Miller
work = The Louis Gregory Project
publisher = The Louis Gregory Project
date =
url = http://members.aol.com/louisggregory/Miller.html
accessdate = 2008-05-08] [cite web
last = Musta
first = Lex
title = Kecia M. Thomas
work = The Louis Gregory Project
publisher = The Louis Gregory Project
date =
url = http://members.aol.com/louisggregory/Thomas.html
accessdate = 2008-05-08] [cite web
last = Musta
first = Lex
title = Diane Batts Morrow
work = The Louis Gregory Project
publisher = The Louis Gregory Project
date =
url = http://members.aol.com/louisggregory/Morrow.html
accessdate = 2008-05-08] [cite web
last = Musta
first = Lex
title = Ms. Kalerie Dabb
work = The Louis Gregory Project
publisher = The Louis Gregory Project
date =
url = http://members.aol.com/louisggregory/Babb.html
accessdate = 2008-05-08] [cite web
last = Musta
first = Lex
title = Lesley G. Feracho
work = The Louis Gregory Project
publisher = The Louis Gregory Project
date =
url = http://members.aol.com/louisggregory/Feracho.html
accessdate = 2008-05-08]

Modern community involvements and character

In the 1990s the Bahá'ís in Kenya participated in a nation-wide community health project including vacinations, maintaining latrines and developing clean water sources. [ [http://www.onecountry.org/oc74/oc7406as.html Community health workers in Kenya stir broad changes] Volume 7, Issue 4 March - January 1996 ]

There is an estimate of 308,000 Bahá'ís in 2005.Year 2000 Estimated Baha'i statistics from: David Barrett, World Christian Encyclopedia, 2000; Total population statistics, mid-2000 from Population Reference Bureau [http://www.prb.org] ] or about 1% of the population. [cite encyclopedia
title = WCC > Member churches > Regions > Africa > Kenya
encyclopedia = World Council of Churches
publisher = World Council of Churches
url = http://www.oikoumene.org/en/member-churches/regions/africa/kenya.html
date = 2008
accessdate = 2008-04-06] [cite web
coauthors = U.S. State Department
title = Background Note: Kenya
publisher = The Office of Electronic Information, Bureau of Public Affair
year = 2007
url = http://www.state.gov/r/pa/ei/bgn/2962.htm
accessdate = 2008-04-06]

ee also

*Demographics of Kenya
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References

External links