Less than 10% of Kenya’s land is cultivable, but the Kenyan Highlands are one of the most successful agricultural production regions in all of Africa. The region is home the highest point in Kenya, Mount Kenya, a glacier-covered 17,000-foot peak after which the country is named.

Relatively speaking, Kenya has a more developed financial services sector than its neighbors. And yet poverty is rampant. Because of poor roads and transportation, food is often left to rot in the highland fields because farmers cannot access markets. A significant portion of the population is heavily dependent on food aid, and over half of Kenya’s 52 million people live below the poverty line. Kenya’s capital, Nairobi, is home to one of the world’s largest slums believed to house up to 1 million people.

Over four-fifths of the population claim to be Christian, and the proportion of evangelicals is high. Yet nominalism has become a major issue, and there is a great need for Biblically trained, sound pastoral leadership.

The Lord has blessed the ministry of ITEM through the years in Kenya since the beginning in 2003. Apollo Oluoch (ITEM Coordinator) has established ministry in the third largest city, Kisumu and surrounding areas. Steven Mzungu (Assistant Coordinator) and Nathan Chiroma (ITEM Special Assistant) are expanding ITEM’s ministry along the Southeastern coast and in the capital city of Nairobi.