The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints in Kenya


The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints in Kenya reported 14,591 members in two stakes, six districts, 54 congregations, and one mission, in Kenya, as of December 31, 2019. On April 2, 2017, church president Thomas S. Monson announced that a temple would be built in Nairobi.

History

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 There was only one LDS missionary couple from then until 1989, when the couple was withdrawn.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.

Membership history

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