Pastor Beaten Unconscious

A street in Garissa - Photo: Wikimedia/Adam H T Geelle
Garissa, Kenya
Photo: Wikimedia/Adam H T Geelle (cc)

An underground pastor in eastern Kenya, near the Somali border, was severely beaten on the night of March 8th. Muslim militants assaulted him with wooden clubs, leaving him unconscious and with a broken leg, bruises and other injuries.

Pastor Abdul (surname withheld for security reasons) is a 30-year-old father of three. He serves as pastor to an underground church consisting of 30 former Muslims who, for safety, meet in small groups on varying days. He was on his way home after a prayer gathering on the outskirts of Garissa when several Somali Muslims attacked him. Most ethnic Somalis believe that all people of their nationality must adhere to Islam.

Speaking from his hospital bed, Abdul stated: "I'm almost unable to bear the pain. My family is in great fear, and Christians have located us to another place. Our prayer for now is to get a safe place for my family. My life, and that of my family, is at stake."

Please pray for the safety of Abdul and his family. May the Kenyan authorities be able to maintain peace and safety for all citizens in this volatile area of their country. Ask the "Great Physician" to minister to the wounds Abdul incurred during the attack so they will heal quickly and completely. May the Lord also enable him to continue fulfilling his pastoral ministry in the new location, providing further opportunities to reach others with the salvation message. Pray that the Somalis living in eastern Kenya will personally experience the love and grace of Christ and, as a result, turn to Him in faith.

  • Country Information

    Kenya map & flagPopulation
    57,052,004 (2023 est.)

    Ethnicity (%)
    Kikuyu (17.1), Luhya (14.3), Kalenjin (13.4), Luo (10.7), Kamba (9.8), Somali (5.8), Kisii (5.7), Mijikenda (5.2), Meru (4.2), Maasai (2.5), Turkana (2.1), other (9.2)

    Religions (%)
    Christian (85.5) (Protestant 33.4%, Catholic 20.6%, Evangelical 20.4% other 11.1%), Muslim (10.9), Other (1.8), None (1.6)

    Government type
    Presidential republic

    Leader
    President William Ruto (2022)

    Legal system
    Mixed legal system of English common law, Islamic law, and customary law; judicial review in a new Supreme Court established pursuant to the new constitution

    Source: CIA World Factbook

  • Pray for Kenya

    Pray that Somali refugees within Kenya will be open to the gospel. Ask the Lord to encourage believers to be unified in heart and purpose as they serve converts from Islam. Pray that churches in the northeastern region will remain strong as they face Islamist attacks.

Select a Region

Kenya News

  • Five Church Buildings Burned
    Worship in Kenya
    Pray that Christians in Kenya will continue
    to faithfully proclaim the Gospel.

    Five church buildings were destroyed by fire in the town of Otamba, Kisii County, between January 21st and 26th, causing great concern among the residents of the community. While ten people were arrested shortly afterwards, the motive behind the attacks is unknown at this point.

    Read more...

  • Christians Ordered to Leave Area
    al-Shabaab - Photo: Voice of America www.voanews.com
    Photo: Voice of America

    On February 23rd, an audio recording was released by al-Shabaab demanding that all non-local Christians leave three provinces in northeastern Kenya. In the 25-minute clip, a spokesman for the Somalia-based Islamic terrorists urged any ethnic Somalis in the area to evict non-Muslims. The message claimed that many Muslims in the area were unemployed, so they should be given the jobs held by the non-Muslims.

    Read more...

  • Christian Teachers Killed
    Al-Shabaab militants
    Al-Shabaab rebels pose an ongoing threat to
    many living close to the Somali border.
    Photo: Voice of America

    Three Christian teachers were killed when suspected Al-Shabaab terrorists attacked the town of Kamuthe in eastern Kenya during the early morning of January 13th. The teachers of a residential school were asleep in their staff housing when their room was raided. According to a surviving teacher who fled out the window, the local Somali Muslim teachers were separated from the non-locals, whom they presumed were Christians. One of the attackers reportedly said, "We cannot allow infidels to teach our children," and then the three Christian men were shot to death.

    Read more...

  • Pastor Beaten Unconscious
    A street in Garissa - Photo: Wikimedia/Adam H T Geelle
    Garissa, Kenya
    Photo: Wikimedia/Adam H T Geelle (cc)

    An underground pastor in eastern Kenya, near the Somali border, was severely beaten on the night of March 8th. Muslim militants assaulted him with wooden clubs, leaving him unconscious and with a broken leg, bruises and other injuries.

    Pastor Abdul (surname withheld for security reasons) is a 30-year-old father of three. He serves as pastor to an underground church consisting of 30 former Muslims who, for safety, meet in small groups on varying days. He was on his way home after a prayer gathering on the outskirts of Garissa when several Somali Muslims attacked him. Most ethnic Somalis believe that all people of their nationality must adhere to Islam.

    Read more...

View All

Kenya Videos

 
Kenya: Fear and Faith After Church Attack
/component/allvideoshare/category/kenya.htm