Prayer for the Ogiek Indigenous Community in Kenya

This post is a prayer for the Ogiek indigenous community in Kenya

Did you know that there is a people group in Kenya who are facing many difficulties?

The Ogiek people are an indigenous tribe who have been marginalized and persecuted for centuries. They are the guardians of the Mau Forest, which is being destroyed by illegal logging and other development projects.

Please join me in praying for the Ogiek people- that they will be strengthened to overcome all the obstacles they face!

Ready? Let’s begin…

Why I’m writing this post

I deeply connect to this community because they are a sub-tribe of Kalenjin (my tribe). I can understand their language and can relate to their way of life. We primarily live off of livestock (meats), honey, and milk. I recall harvesting honey with my grandfather, and he would tell us the importance of protecting the trees and the forest. Grandpa would say in Kalenjin, “This is all we have.”

So, my heart breaks for this community.💔

Please spread the word about the need to support the Ogiek.

Who are the Ogiek?

The Ogiek are a tribe of about 20,000 people who live in the Rift Valley Province of Kenya. Their primary source of livelihood is honey production, and they rely heavily on the Mau Forest for their food and water needs. The Mau Forest is the largest indigenous forest in East Africa and is vital to the region’s ecology.

Ogiek challenges

The Ogiek have faced many challenges throughout history. In British colonial times, they were forcibly evicted from their ancestral lands and resettled in areas that were not conducive to their way of life. This led to widespread poverty and marginalization within the Ogiek community.

In recent years, the Kenyan government has been trying to evict the Ogiek from the Mau Forest in order to make way for various development projects. This has caused great hardship for the Ogiek people, as they are being displaced from their homes and livelihoods.

In 2017, the Ogiek won a landmark victory in the African Court on Human and Peoples’ Rights, based in Arusha, Tanzania. The court ruled that the Kenyan government had violated the Ogiek’s human rights by trying to evict them from their ancestral lands.

Despite this victory, they still face numerous challenges, court cases, and constant fear of eviction.

Prayer points

Please join me in praying for the following:

• Ogiek would be granted full legal recognition as an indigenous people by the Kenyan government.
• Kenyan government would respect the Ogiek’s rights to their ancestral lands and stop trying to evict them.
• Ogiek would be able to maintain their livelihoods and way of life in the Mau Forest.
• Ogiek would be united in their struggle for justice and equality.
• That worldwide leaders and activists would rise up and help the Ogiek.
• Wisdom of the Ogiek community leaders- that they would know how best to protect their rights and way of life.

Prayer for the Ogiek

Here is a quick prayer tailored explicitly for the Ogiek:

Dear God, we lift up the Ogiek people to you today. Please give them the strength to overcome all the challenges they face. We also ask that you grant them full legal recognition as indigenous people and respect their rights to their ancestral lands. Lord, we pray that the Ogiek will be able to maintain their livelihoods and way of life in the Mau Forest. We also ask for unity among the Ogiek people as they struggle for justice and equality. In Jesus’ name, Amen.

And that’s it folks, prayer for the Ogiek

For more prayer points, please read this post: Strategic Prayer for Indigenous People

Here is a video that explains more about the Ogiek:

Hugs,