Division and Dissent: Kings Family CMS Link Letter 14, July 1990
by Graham Kings
Date added: 16/01/2026
A host of Mothers Union members, robed in blue, were leading the singing and dancing on our side of the valley. We were waiting for the Embu procession to appear over the top of the other side of the valley, escorting the Bishop. When they began descending the steep road, the whole crowd on our side moved forward down the road to meet them on the bridge, high above the Rupingazi river.
The Bishop got out of the car and was led to the bridge by the people from Embu, who handed him over to the people of Kirinyaga. The Mothers Union, in song, insisted that he walk with us all for half a mile, before getting into his car. The river of people flowed and flowed in waves of great rejoicing, shouts and songs.
Thus, the Diocese of Mount Kenya East died on Sunday 1 July and rose again as two new dioceses – Embu and Kirinyaga. The Rupingazi river, running fast down from the mountain, forms the boundary and provided an amazing setting for this most extraordinary, spontaneous celebration. Eventually, the procession of about 50-70 cars slowly escorted the Bishop the 20 miles from the Rupingazi to Kerugoya, the centre of Kirinyaga district.
This handing over of the Bishop at the river was the climax of a four-hour farewell service in Embu Cathedral, attended by about 8,000 people from all over the diocese. The division is a result of growth and is part of a strategy for evangelism. Parishes often have five or six congregations; when a parish divides into two, new congregations are then started and so it continues.
In 1975, when Mount Kenya East was formed, there were 19 parishes served by 30 clergy. After 15 years, when it divided into two last Sunday, there were 94 parishes with 120 clergy and 15 deaconesses. David Gitari has chosen to be Bishop of Kirinyaga, which also includes the districts of Meru and Isiolo as well as Marsabit, right up to the Ethiopian border. A new bishop will be chosen for the new Diocese of Embu, and your prayers are greatly valued for this decision. St Andrew’s Institute will continue to serve both dioceses, as well as taking students from other countries: at the moment we have students from Zaire and Sudan.
An atmosphere of political unrest is spreading in Kenya – you may be reading comments about it in your newspapers. The tidal wave of dissent in Eastern Europe seems to be washing over those parts of Africa which are clinging to one party systems. The party here is effectively above Parliament, since MPs can be expelled from the party for what they say in Parliament and thereby automatically lose their seats.
Until recently, opposition to electoral rigging and other corruption in society has come from two sources – the Church and the lawyers. This year, however, has seen the beginning of a political opposition from among those who have been expelled from the party. Two former cabinet ministers have led a call for the introduction of a multiparty system in Kenya.
Last week, these two were detained: one of them had recently had his house attacked and his wife was seriously beaten up. Prominent lawyers were also detained. Yesterday, 7 July, there was an ‘illegal’ meeting of thousands in Nairobi, which ended with a riot and tear gas. Earlier in the year, the popular and eloquent Foreign Minister, Dr Robert Ouko, had been murdered: his death is still under investigation by Scotland Yard, who were called in by the Government to allay fears of a cover up.
Ethnic assertiveness is increasing; huge sales of Kikuyu contemporary political songs on cassettes have led to their banning, but not to their silencing. Please join the Church in Kenya in praying for God’s justice and peace.
A few other items for news:
- For two weeks in April, I travelled on public transport around northern Kenya with a former student, visiting five other former students who are now vicars there. We drank goats’ and camels’ milk and walked for miles. We also saw a skin freshly cut that morning from a lion, which had killed five cows the previous night.
- Miriam (6 years) joins Rosalind (8) at Turi Boarding School in September. Alison will continue to teach Katie (3) at home.
- Anvil, an Anglican theological journal, is publishing this summer my article on the Lausanne II conference in Manila.
- The staff and students have settled down well to the new Diploma in Theology syllabus and our first-year exam results were very encouraging.
- I enclose a recent poem, ‘The Image of Her Father’.
