Nairobi (Kenya)
The capital city of Kenya was founded in 1905 as a railway supply center for the Uganda railroad. It has since blossomed into East Africa's largest metropolis with a population exceeding 1 million (in 1987) and 2.5 million (in 2001). The city serves as industrial, economic, political, and religious center for the nation. Nairobi is also a center for a number of international agencies and multinational corporations and hosts many international conventions. A booming tourist trade adds to its cosmopolitan setting.
The Mennonite Church founded in neighboring Tanganyika (Tanzania) in 1934, soon began to use the city as a supply center. As members of the church moved into Nairobi from newly independent Tanzania (1964), it became clear that the church should follow its members. In 1965 land and buildings were purchased and the Mennonite Guest House came into being. A coffee plantation became available for purchase and the missionary children's school moved to Nairobi to better serve children from Somalia and Tanzania. The Nairobi congregation was founded in 1966 and continues to minister to people of several ethnic backgrounds. Mennonite Central Committee and Menno Travel Service have offices in Nairobi, and the Eastern Mennonite Board of Missions and Charities (Mennonite Church) has had personnel in the city since 1965.
| Author(s) | Daniel L Wenger |
|---|---|
| Date Published | 1987 |
Cite This Article
MLA style
Wenger, Daniel L. "Nairobi (Kenya)." Global Anabaptist Mennonite Encyclopedia Online. 1987. Web. 16 Apr 2024. https://gameo.org/index.php?title=Nairobi_(Kenya)&oldid=93016.
APA style
Wenger, Daniel L. (1987). Nairobi (Kenya). Global Anabaptist Mennonite Encyclopedia Online. Retrieved 16 April 2024, from https://gameo.org/index.php?title=Nairobi_(Kenya)&oldid=93016.
Adapted by permission of Herald Press, Harrisonburg, Virginia, from Mennonite Encyclopedia, Vol. 5, p. 616. All rights reserved.
©1996-2024 by the Global Anabaptist Mennonite Encyclopedia Online. All rights reserved.