Kenya’s Abanyore people get complete Bible — after nearly 100 years!

By Sospeter K Gatobu, Public Relations Manager/
Opportunity 21 Program National Co-ordinator

Women sharing their delight at being able to read the first ever complete Bible in Lunyore, at its launch on April 7, 2002. Kima, Kenya. Photo: BSKenya/Sospeter Gatobu (KEN02-01/20)

KIMA, Kenya — The first complete Bible in Lunyore, the language spoken by 150,000 Abanyore people in Kenya, was launched amid much rejoicing in April. This brings to 16 the number of Kenyan local languages in which the Bible is available, and for the Abanyore it will eliminate the need to struggle to read the Bible in Luhya.

Work on producing a modern common-language translation began in 1985 and good progress was made, allowing the Lunyore New Testament to be launched in November 1996 (see World Report 318/12). However, the Abanyore have had a very long wait for a full Bible: three New Testament books were published in Lunyore as long ago as 1915, and the first full New Testament was published in 1936, followed in 1953 by a Psalms translation.

Long wait

Work on the Old Testament by Ezekiel Jako of the Pentecostal Church and Raba Okola of the Church of God has finally brought the long wait for a complete Bible in Lunyore to an end. Representatives of more than 30 different denominations from the region in which Lunyore is spoken attended the launch ceremony at Kima Mission Centre, and many expressed their joy through song and dance. The Rev Dr Byrum Makokha, chairman of the translation project and head of the Church of God, led the ceremony. He declared that “this is one of the most important days for our people. What we have long waited for is here.” The Rev Henry Kathii, General Secretary of the Bible Society of Kenya (BSK), spoke of how the Lunyore project had involved collaboration between the churches, the Bible Society and UBS. An address was delivered by the Rev Micah Amukobole, former chairman of the BSK board. He highlighted God’s Word as “a dynamite that changes lives” and demands a personal response.

Unplanned distribution

The new Bible was dedicated in prayer, followed by its first public reading. Many people sought to obtain a copy immediately in order to follow the readings, and Bible Society staff distributed many copies at this stage in the ceremony, even though this had not been planned. There was also great demand for copies afterwards, and one woman told of how she had been saving to buy the new Bible ever since she heard that the translation was complete.