East Kenya Union Conference

By Alfred G. Marundu

Alfred G. Marundu

First Published: March 24, 2021

East Kenya Union Conference belongs to the East-Central Africa Division of Seventh-day Adventists. It was organized in 1921. Its headquarters is in Nairobi, Kenya.

Current Territory and Statistics

East Kenya Union Conference (EKUC) consists of 32 of Kenya’s 47 counties: Nairobi, Narok, Nakuru, Nyandarua, Muranga, Kiambu, Machakos, Makueni, Kajiado, Nyeri, Embu, Kirinyaga, Tharaka Nithi, Meru, Laikipia, Kitui, Bomet, Kericho, Nyamira, Kisii, Samburu, Marsabit, Isiolo, Wajir, Mandera, Garissa, Tana River, Lamu, Kilifi, Kwale, Mombasa, and Taita Taveta. It also includes the entire Republic of Somalia.¹ EKUC is one of the two unions within the Republic of Kenya and is part of the East-Central Africa Division (ECD) of Seventh-day Adventists.

Currently, the union comprises 11 administrative entities which include four conferences and seven fields (missions) namely: Central Kenya Conference, Central Rift Valley Conference, Nyamira Conference, and South Kenya Conference; East Nairobi Field, Kenya Coast Field, North East Kenya Field, South East Kenya Field, South Nairobi Kajiado Field, South Rift Valley Field, and West Nyamira Field.²

As of December 31, 2020, EKUC had 3,567 churches and 1,961 companies with a total baptized membership of 62,223.³ According to the 2019 Kenyan population census, the above 32 counties had a population of 32,793,048, and the population of the entire Republic of Somalia was estimated at 15,893,222.⁴ This gives a ratio of member to population of 1:79 for the union territory. Each baptized member is thus expected to witness to at least 79 people to accomplish the mission agenda in the union territory.

Organizational History

The East Kenya Union Conference was born when the former East Africa Union that had briefly been renamed Kenya Union Mission (KUM)⁵ was reorganized, giving birth to two unions, namely EKUC and West Kenya Union Conference (WKUC). It was officially inaugurated and launched on November 25, 2013.⁶

Several meetings about the reorganization of the Kenya Union Mission were conducted by the three union administrators: Paul M. Muasya, president; Samuel Makori, executive secretary; and Dan Angwena, treasurer. The relevant union executive committee actions regarding the reorganization of the union include the action to appoint an internal feasibility committee to explore the viability of dividing the union into two. The second action was taken after members of the union executive committee, which was held on July 12, 2012, at the union office, studied the internal survey team’s report in regard to the reorganization of the union. The action stated: “VOTED: To adopt and forward Kenya Union Mission reorganization report to the East-Central Africa Division for consideration.”⁷

The union committee met again on September 13, 2012, and took the following action: “VOTED: To approve the Kenya Union Mission realignment of the Union and the change of status of the Union from a Union Mission to a Union Conference.”

On April 26, 2013, the union executive committee took an action to split the union into two administrative entities at the union level.

On May 21, 2013, the union executive committee voted that the two unions that would come out of Kenya Union Mission reorganization should be union conferences. This action was sent to ECD for approval. The division executive committee approved the recommendation from the union and sent the same to the General Conference Executive Committee for consideration.

In response, the General Conference (GC) sent a survey team that met the union’s representatives on September 6, 2013. The team was led by a general vice president, Dr. Pardon Mwansa. After a thorough study of the self-study documents and investigations, the team decided in favor of the request. At the 2013 Annual Council, the GC Executive Committee voted to approve the survey team’s recommendation to reorganize the Kenya Union Mission into two entities, the East Kenya Union Conference (EKUC) with headquarters in Nairobi, and the West Kenya Union Conference (WKUC) with headquarters in Kisumu, Kenya. At that time, the Kenya Union Mission territory covered Kenya and Somalia; comprising Central Kenya, Kenya Lake, Nyamira, Ranen, South Kenya, and Western Kenya Conferences. It also included the Central Nyanza and Kenya Coast Fields. As of 2013, KUM had 4,523 churches and 716,446 members and a combined population of 53,099,000.⁸

Finally, in a joint session held at Kamagambo on November 25, 2013, the old union was dissolved and the leadership of the two new unions elected as follows: East Kenya Union—president, Jonathan Maangi; secretary, Franklin Wariba; and treasurer, Dan Agwena. West Kenya Union—president, Kenneth O. Maena; secretary, Japheth Ochorokodi; and treasurer, David Sunday.⁹ East Kenya Union Conference kept the headquarters of the Kenya Union Mission while West Kenya Union Conference was to have its headquarters in the city of Kisumu.¹⁰

The union has several institutions of education, health, and hospitality, including charitable agencies, media, and publishing ministries, which fell under its territory after the re-alignment:

Primary Schools

Maxwell Adventist Preparatory School, Mere Adventist Primary School, Nyanchwa Adventist Preparatory school, Karura Adventist Primary School, Gatumbi Adventist Primary School, Upper Hill Adventist Primary School, Mikinduri Adventist Primary School, Kagaaene Adventist Primary School, Kitui Adventist Primary School, Ncheme Adventist Primary School, Irabari Adventist Primary School, Mathare Adventist Primary School, Muutine Adventist Primary School, Amwamba Adventist Primary School, Kambia Adventist Primary School, Kautine Adventist Primary School, and Nyahururu Adventist Primary School.

Secondary Schools

Kagwathi Adventist Secondary School, Changamwe Adventist Secondary School, Jeremic Adventist Secondary School, Karura Adventist Secondary school, Masii Adventist Secondary School, Mutitu Adventist Secondary School, Nyanchwa Adventist Secondary School, Kiutine Adventist Secondary School, Kiriiria Adventist Secondary School, Kavingori Adventist Secondary School, Kitui Adventist Secondary School, Upper Hill Adventist Secondary School, Kabokyek Adventist Secondary School, Rift Valley Adventist Secondary School, and Matutu Adventist Secondary School.

Colleges and Universities

Mutitu Adventist Teachers Training College, and Nyanchwa Adventist Teachers Training College. The University of Eastern Africa Baraton is co-owned by the East Kenya Union Conference and the West Kenya Union Conference. The Adventist University of Africa which is owned by the three divisions of Africa, is also located within East Kenya Union Conference territory.

Healthcare Institutions

Better Living Hospital, Nairobi Adventist Hospital, Nyanchwa Adventist Mission Hospital, Gatumbi Adventist Dispensary, Kitundu Adventist Health Centre, Kabokyek Adventist Dispensary, Kebenet Adventist Dispensary, Ruungu Adventist Dispensary, Watamu Adventist Dispensary, Mugutha Adventist Dispensary, Gatwamba Adventist Dispensary, Musoa Adventist Dispensary, Eronge Adventist Dispensary, Itibo Adventist Dispensary, Kemera Adventist Dispensary, Nyagesenda Adventist Dispensary, Nyasore Adventist Dispensary, Riakworo Adventist Dispensary, Gesusu Adventist Dispensary, and Riokindo Adventist Dispensary.

Humanitarian Agencies

ADRA Kenya and ADRA Somalia, both of which have their headquarters in Nairobi within the East Kenya Union Conference.

Media Institutions

Sheki FM, Radio Tarumbeta (FM station), Kisima FM, Wikwatyo FM, and Hope Channel Kenya (TV).

Hospitality Institutions

Watamu Adventist Beach Resort (WABR), and Literature Ministry Seminary (LMS) Guesthouse.

Literature Ministry

Published literature is received and distributed from the Home Health Education Service (HHES) in Nairobi. The head office distributes literature to Adventist Book Centers and book depositories that serve the literature evangelists.

Future Outlook

The work in the East Kenya Union Conference is very demanding. It is not easy to travel to the 11 local fields and conferences in the 32 counties. To arrange mission visits to the Muslim majority Republic of Somalia is challenging. It is therefore the plan of the union leadership to reorganize the territory into two unions by the year 2022. After reorganizing in 2013 with a membership of 416,705, the membership grew to 615,435 by the year 2020.

Executive Officers Chronology

Presidents: J. Maangi (2013-2015); S. Makori (2015-present)

Executive Secretaries: F. Wariba (2013-2015); A. Marundu (2015-present)

Treasurers: D. Agwena (2013-2015); N. Maiyo (2015-present)

The principal offices of the East Kenya Union Conference are located at Milimani Road along Jakaya Kikwete Road, Nairobi, Kenya.

Sources

ECD Secretary’s 3^rd quarter Statistical report, 2020. East-Central Africa Division Archives, Nairobi, Kenya.

EAU Meetings Minutes. East-Central Africa Division Archives, Nairobi, Kenya.

Seventh-day Adventist Yearbook, 2014 and 2019. https://www.adventistyearbook.org/.

Notes

“East Kenya Union Conference,” SDA Yearbook, 2019.↩
Ibid.↩
ECD Secretary’s 3^rd quarter Statistical report, 2020, East-Central Africa Division Archives, Nairobi, Kenya.↩
https://www.google.com/search?q=population+of+somalia+in+2020, accessed on April 27, 2021.↩
Minute 1306: EAU CHANGE OF NAME. VOTED: To approve the change of East Africa Union’s name to Kenya Union Mission (KUM) of Seventh-Day Adventists (East-Central Africa Division Archives, Nairobi, Kenya).↩
Author’s personal knowledge as a worker in EKUC.↩
EAU Minute # 1193 on the EAU CONFERENCE STATUS REPORT (East-Central Africa Division Archives, Nairobi, Kenya).↩
Ibid., 49.↩
“East Kenya Union Conference,” SDA Yearbook, 2014.↩
Ibid.↩