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KENYAN PEOPLE
Population
Ethnic Groups
Languages
Health
Education
Religion
Unreached People
Population
28,337,000 (46% under age 15, 3% over age 65)
Density: 49 per sq km (126 per sq mi)
Growth rate: 2.0% per annum
Projected by 2010: 33,920,000
Urban population: 27%
Ethnic Groups
The major ethnic groups among Kenyans are Kikuyu (21%), Luyia (14%), Luo (13%), Kalenjin (11%), Kamba (11%), Kisii (6%), and Meru (5%). The remainder of the population is made up of smaller ethnic groups: Asians (Indians), Europeans, and Arabs.
Languages
English and Swahili (also called Kiswahili) are the official languages. Major vernaculars are Bukusu, Embu, Giryama, Gusii, Idakho-Isukha-Tiriki, Kalenjin, Kamba, Kikuyu, Luo, Luyia, Maasai, Meru, Saamia, Somali, and Turkana. There are 58 languages spoken in Kenya, 33 of which are spoken by at least 50,000 people.
Health
Infant mortality rate: 62 per 1,000 births
Life expectancy: Male: 54.2 yrs., Female: 54.6 yrs.
Nutrition: 86% of FAO's minimum requirement
Physicians: One for every 5,999 people
Education
Literacy: 78.1% of those over 15; (Male: 86.3%; Female: 70%)
Teacher/Primary Student Ratio: 1:31.4
Religion
Freedom of religion exists in Kenya. The figures below are approximate.
Christian: 60-70%
Protestant: 45.0%
Roman Catholic: 25.9%
Marginal groups: 13.0%
Pentecostal/Charismatic: 11.1%
Orthodox: 2.9%
Traditional religion (Animism): 10.0%
Muslim: 10.0%
Baha'i/Hindu: 1.6%
Evangelicals are estimated at 10.0% of the population.
Unreached People
Some reports say that 24 Kenyan people groups have less than 20% of the population with any Christian church affiliation. The majority of Kenya's unreached people groups follow Islam or some form of traditional religion. They are dispersed geographically throughout Kenya and vary in their culture, language, and religious orientation.
The areas in which these groups are located are predominantly isolated, hot, and arid with a lack of roads and no clean water. Several groups have no written language. The lifestyle is simple, and comforts will be few and far between.
Three of these unreached people groups are sociological, rather than ethnic.
If you have a heart to work among unreached people, please contact your nearest SIM office.