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The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints in Kenya
The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints in Kenya
Area	Africa Central
Members	19,206 (2023)
Stakes	4
Districts	5
Wards	17
Branches	55
Total Congregations	72
Missions	2
Temples	1 Under Construction;
FamilySearch Centers	5

The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints in Kenya refers to the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (LDS Church) and its members in Kenya. In 1981, two small congregations were created in Kenya (Nairobi and Kiboko). In 2022, there were 17,438 members in 57 congregations.^[4] On April 2, 2017, church president Thomas S. Monson announced that a temple would be built in Nairobi.^[5]

History

Membership in Kenya
Year	Membership
1987	99
1989*	300
1995*	2,200
1999	4,039
2004	6,832
2009	9,370
2014	12,471
2019	14,591
2024	20,802
Membership was published as a rounded number. Source: Wendall J. Ashton; Jim M. Wall, Deseret News, various years, Church Almanac Country Information: Kenya*^[1]

English

Swahili

The Book of Mormon in languages spoken in Kenya. The Kisii (Gusii) translation, which only selections have been translated, is not pictured.

The first Kenyans baptized into the LDS Church in Kenya were the family of Elizaphan and Ebisiba Osaka, who were baptized in 1979. The first LDS missionaries began serving in Kenya in 1980. There was only one LDS missionary couple from then until 1989, when the couple was withdrawn. Joseph W. Sitati, who joined the LDS Church along with his family in 1985, was designated the lead elder of the church in Kenya at that point. In February 1991, he met with Daniel arap Moi, president of Kenya. Later that month the attorney general of Kenya gave Sitati and a few other church leaders a form signifying the church was officially recognized.

In July 1991, the Kenya Nairobi Mission was organized, with Larry King Brown as president. The first LDS meeting house was completed in Nairobi in 1994. In 2001 a stake was organized, with Sitati called as president. Sitati later became the first general authority from Kenya.^[6] In March 2016, the Nairobi Kenya Stake was divided to form the east and west stake.^[7]

In 2020, the mission headquartered in Nairobi mission was divided with the creation of the Tanzania Dar es Salaam Mission.^[8] In August 2020, the church organized the new Africa Central Area with its headquarters in Nairobi. The new area oversees the church in 18 countries.^[9]

Stakes and districts

As of November 2024, the following Stakes and Districts were located in Kenya:

Stake/District	Organized	Mission
Busia Kenya District	13 Jan 2019	Kenya Nairobi West
Eldoret Kenya District	24 Apr 2011	Kenya Nairobi West
Kilungu Hills Kenya District	12 Oct 2014	Kenya Nairobi East
Kisumu Kenya District	16 Jun 2019	Kenya Nairobi West
Kitale Kenya District	9 Apr 2019	Kenya Nairobi West
Kyulu Kenya Stake	15 Dec 1992	Kenya Nairobi East
Mombasa Kenya District	25 Oct 2015	Kenya Nairobi East
Nairobi Kenya East Stake	9 Sep 2001	Kenya Nairobi East
Nairobi Kenya South Stake	5 Mar 2023	Kenya Nairobi East
Nairobi Kenya West Stake	20 Mar 2016	Kenya Nairobi West

Missions

Kenya Nairobi West Mission
Kenya Nairobi East Mission

Temples

On April 2, 2017, Thomas S. Monson announced the intent to construct the Nairobi Kenya Temple in the church's general conference.

	212. Nairobi Kenya Temple (Under construction) Official website News & images		edit
	Location: Announced: Groundbreaking:	Nairobi, Kenya 2 April 2017 by Thomas S. Monson^[10] 11 September 2021 by Joseph W. Sitati^[11] on a 3.7-acre (1.5 ha) site