North East Kenya Field

North East Kenya Field is a part of East Kenya Union Conference in the East-Central Africa Division of Seventh-day Adventists. Formerly part of Central Kenya Conference, it was organized in 2020. Its headquarters is in Meru, Kenya.

Territory: The counties of Kirinyaga, Embu, Tharaka Nithi, Meru, Isiolo, Marsabit, and a portion of Samburu.

Statistics (June 30, 2020): Churches, 369; membership, 24,897; population, 3,080,123.¹

Origin of Adventism in North East Kenya Field

Adventism started in Gatumbi; Kirinyaga County in 1936. The late Justus Kangethe, a self-supporting evangelist from Muranga County, conducted an evangelistic campaign in Gatumbi where the Gatumbi Adventist School is currently located.²

Afterwards, Benson Ngatia from Nyeri spread the Adventist message to Tharaka by Ismael Mainda in 1943 and Embu County around 1947. He went to Irabari where the Adventist message was received by several people.³

Around 1962, Permunus Nduke and Solomon Ngoroi went to Runyenjes in Embu County where they conducted a two-month evangelistic campaign. The army of the Lord moved on until the Three Angel’s Message reached other parts of North East Kenya Field.⁴

Organizational History

The North East Kenya Field was organized on November 28, 2019 when the Executive Committee of Central Kenya Conference, East Kenya Union Conference, and the East-Central Africa Division voted to reorganize Central Kenya Conference into four entities, namely: Central Kenya Conference, East Nairobi Field, South Nairobi Kajiado Field, and North East Kenya Field. However, the Central Kenya Conference retained its conference status. The main objective of this was to encourage the mission of spreading the Gospel.⁵ On December 8, 2019, the first three officers of North East Kenya Field were elected by East Kenya Union Conference Constituency/Executive Committee during the East Kenya Union Conference Mission Extravaganza at Nakuru. These officers are: Pastor Benjamin Mutugi, president; Pastor Nephat F. Nyaga, executive secretary, and Elder Nehemiah Njuguna, treasurer.

Organization of the New Field

Due to Covid-19 challenges, the process of organizing the field was delayed from May to November 30, 2020. The procedure of the establishment of North East Kenya Field was read and confirmed by Dr. Alfred Marundu, East Kenya Union Conference Secretary, based on ECD Working Policy B 65 10.

Dr. Samuel Makori led the delegates in the election process when they chose department directors through a nominating committee. The following were chosen as departmental directors of the Field: Samuel Kiragu–Ministerial, Secretary, Family Life, Camp Meetings Co-ordinator, Communication, Pastors Kids & Shepherdess; Kathurima Kiengo–Youth, Education, Music, and Adventist Volunteer Services and Chaplain; Kenneth Karugu–Stewardship, Church Development, and Possibility Ministries; Michael Karithi–Evangelism, Health Ministries Sabbath School, AMR, OAM, VOP, and Personal Ministries.⁶

The Field has 13 primary schools and six secondary schools.

Sources

Seventh-day Adventist Yearbook. Washington, D.C.: Review and Herald Publishing Association. Various years. https://www.adventistyearbook.org/.

Notes

1. “North East Kenya Field," Seventh-day Adventist Yearbook, accessed May 26, 2021, https://www.adventistyearbook.org/entity?EntityID=143007.↩

2. Fredrick Wangai retired pastor, interview by author, Nairobi, May 16, 2021.↩

3. Elder Samuel Namu, retired pastor, interview by author, May 16, 2021.↩

4. “North East Kenya Field," Seventh-day Adventist Yearbook, accessed May 1, 2021, https://www.adventistyearbook.org/entity?EntityID=143007.↩

5. Ibid.; 2019 Online census Statistics in Kenya, accessed May 1, 2021.↩

6. Ibid.↩