Bringing God’s Word to the Kikamba People

Location: Kenya
Speakers: 5,260,000
Project Status: New Testament
Christian Population: 90%

Kikamba is a major language of the Kamba tribe in Kenya with almost seven million speakers, chiefly found in the Kenyan counties of Machakos, Kitui, and Makueni. The language is widely spoken in east Kenya, particularly on radio and television, and is written in the Latin script.

There are three main Kikamba Bible versions, but none are based on the Received Text. The first version, which is commonly used by Kambas, was translated in the early 1900s; the others are more recent. In 2021 TBS commenced the Kikamba Bible translation project, beginning with the Gospel according to John. The work is undertaken directly from the Greek Received Text by a suitably qualified native Kikamba speaker, who is assisted by four other Kikamba-speaking brothers.

Historically, the Kamba’s religion involved a high god and ancestral spirits and made use of magic, witchcraft, and sacrifices. While today many in the Kikamba tribe are nominally Christian (approximately 90%), it is our hope and prayer that this new translation will bring many Kikamba speakers to a saving knowledge of Jesus Christ.

The Gospel according to John was published in 2024. The translation work on the remaining New Testament books continue to progress, and we have received the books of Matthew and Mark to check. A Kikamba translation of the Society’s article The Lord Gave the Word has been translated, typeset, and is now being checked.

‘But these are written, that ye might believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God; and that believing ye might have life through his name’ (John 20.31).

How to pray for this project:

• For the lead translator as he endeavours to faithfully translate the Scriptures in Kikamba, and for the other team members to be able to meet regularly with him to progress the work.
• For the Kikamba people to come to a saving knowledge of the Lord Jesus Christ.
• For the distribution of the Gospel according to John, both in print and digitally.