The Bible Translation and Literacy (BTL) organization has launched the Upper Pokomo language New Testament Bible in Hola, Tana River County.
Christians in Tana River, especially the Pokomo will hear and read the Bible in their native language thanks to the efforts of BTL.
BTL, a Christian-based organization established in 1981, facilitates sustainable Bible translation, literacy, and language development among indigenous language groups in Kenya and beyond.
The translation work required intensive linguistic surveys and orthography development, which took ten years and cost Sh45 million.
The process involved learning the Upper Pokomo language and its differentiation from the Lower Pokomo language.
The Upper Pokomo language is spoken in the upper reaches of the Tana River basin in Tana River County.
While the Pokomo are a coastal Bantu community, the Upper Pokomo subgroup is geographically situated further upriver than the Lower Pokomo.
The Upper Pokomo language is similar to Swahili and is distinct from the languages of the Mijikenda, another coastal Bantu community.
The Pokomo are mostly subsistence farmers living off the land and they are proud of their culture, their language and their community.
Speaking during the dedication of the Bible at Africa Inland Church (AIC) in Hola town, BTL’s National Director Reverend Peter Munguti said the Upper Pokomo speakers are fortunate to have the Bible in their language, considering that many communities across East Africa region are yet to receive the scriptures in their native languages.
Further, Rev. Munguti asked the Upper Pokomo speakers to read the word of God so that they could fully understand the will of God and bring growth to the church.
“I call upon the clergy to use this Bible to pass the message of God to the congregation and transform their lives,” he said.
He underscored the importance of Bible translation into native languages noting that the upper Pokomo mother tongue has and will ring through eternity.
The clergyman asked the church to support the BTL organization to ensure that all communities receive the word of God in their native tongues.
Rev. Munguti said Pokomo churchgoers in Tan River County will now be reading and hearing the New Testament Bible in Pokomo, their mother tongue, for the very first time.
BTL’s Board Chairperson Kendi Ogamba said the translation of the Bible will eventually help Christians to understand the basis of Christianity as a region, rather than relying on religious leaders.
“The bible plays key roles in our lives, and we believe that the Upper Pokomo speakers will read and understand the word of God and further understand God,” said Ogamba adding that translating the bible into native languages will enhance understanding by the local people.
The BTL board chairperson said the Bible will enlighten Christians on wrong teachings from the ever-emerging false prophets.
“The Shakahola issues happened because people were fed on wrong teachings without reading and understanding the Bible. False prophets went to Shakahola for personal gains,” she noted.
Mrs. Ogamba, a lawyer by profession, said the emergence of false prophets will prevent coming generations from understanding the word of God for selfish gains, thus the need to translate scriptures into native languages.
She said Bible translation is crucial because it makes the Word of God accessible to a wider audience, facilitating deeper understanding and personal connection with scriptures.
Furthermore, translation bridges language and cultural barriers, allowing people to engage with the Bible in their native tongue and connect with its universal message on a deeper level.
Currently, BTL is working across 37 languages in Kenya, six in Tanzania, and three in South Sudan.
At the Coastal Region, the organization completed and dedicated the Duruma, Digo, Giryama, and Lower Pokomo languages Bibles alongside the Chonyi in the New Testament.
By Hussein Abdullahi
