Browsing by Author "Kagema, Dickson Nkonge"

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A Short History of the Anglican Church in Meru, Kenya (1969- 2009)
(IISTE, 2016) Kagema, Dickson Nkonge
This paper traces the history of the Anglican Church (AC) in Meru since its inception in 1969 to 2009, forty years of evangelization. Although the AC is the oldest Christian denomination in Kenya having been started in 1844 by the Church Missionary Society (CMS(Anglican)), where it was able to reach to most parts of Kenya, it took a long time (125 years) to reach Meru region(What is today Meru and Tharaka Nithi Counties). During the subdivision of Kenya into ‘missionary spheres of influence’ this region had been given to CMS but for various reasons the CMS failed to occupy it prompting the Church of Scotland Mission (CSM) (Presbyterian), Consolata Catholic Mission (CCM)((Roman Catholic), United Free Methodist Churches (UFMC) and others to desire to evangelize there. Thus by the time the AC was introduced in Meru from Embu after independence, other denominations including the Catholic Church, Methodist Church, Presbyterian Church and Pentecostals were already thriving in Meru where they had many followers. The AC began in Southern Meru in 1969 and within a short time it was able to spread to almost all parts of Meru region. This paper looks at its history and development for the first forty years. In these years, this Church experienced a tremendous numerical growth but not without challenges which have sometimes been very detrimental to evangelization. The paper concludes that the AC has a promising future in Meru if priorities are set right especially in the area of leadership and pastoral care.
The Aftermath of the 2007/08 Post-Election Violence in Kenya and the Role of Religion
(American Research Institute for Policy Development, 2019-06) Kagema, Dickson Nkonge
War, violence and conflicts are the biggest hiccups to human development to date. In spite of the numerous calls for justice, reconciliation and peace as prerequisites for a stable society, political, religious and ethnic conflicts continue to hit many parts of the world. Africa is possibly the most affected continent by this anguish as some of her nations and people have not known peace for decades. In Kenya, for example, although there have been many conflicts since independence (1963), it was the 2007/2008 Post-election violence that proved rather challenging as its effects are felt to date. The disputed Presidential election results plunged the county into a serious crisis whose effects continue to wreck the country socially, politically and economically. For instance, memories of this conflict where many lives were lost, families displaced, women and girls suffered sexual violence and property destroyed reappear any time we have a national election, and this has seriously disintegrated the nation, thus affecting the development of the country as a whole. It is therefore an issue that must be seriously thought about by all stakeholders if at all any sustainable development has to be attained. In this regard, religion which still remains the most trusted institution in Kenya as in other parts of Africa must not stand at the periphery. Religion is the conscience of the society and as such the dominant religions in Kenya, namely Christianity (82.5%) and Islam (11%), have an indelible responsibility of bringing forth justice, peace and reconciliation among individuals and communities in Kenya so as to ensure that the country attains sustainable development.
ASSESSMENT OF RELIGIOUS INITIATED PROGRAMMES AS INTERVENTION MECHANISMS IN CURBING HIV/AIDS PANDEMIC IN KENYA: SOME SELECTED PROGRAMMES IN MERU SOUTH SUB-COUNTY
(2019) Muthai, Lucy Mutare; Bururia, David; Kagema, Dickson Nkonge
Over the years, HIV and AIDS pandemic has brought enormous burden upon the lives of many people throughout the world. Since the first cases of AIDS were identified in 1981, millions of people have lost their lives. An estimated 70 million people are living with HIV and AIDS by now and more than 35 million people have died. As the burden of HIV and AIDS increases in different communities of the world, new organizations are being formed to help curb its impact. Kenya has about 1.6 million people living with HIV and AIDS and in 1999 it was declared a national disaster. It is in response to this that many development partners including the religious organizations, the government and NGOs came up with programmes to fight the scourge, yet there seems to be little success as new infections continue to be experienced. Christianity being the religion followed by the majority of the Kenyans and the Church being the most trusted institution has not been left behind as efforts to curb this pandemic is are made. This study assessed the effectiveness of Church based initiated programmes in curbing HIV/AIDS in Kenya. Selected programmes in Meru South Sub-County were used for the purpose of this study. These were Redeemed Gospel Church, Presybyterian Church of East Africa, Salvation Army Church and Baptist Church. The target population was 1040 subjects comprising 1000 Church members and 40 beneficiaries. The Church ministers/pastors were our key informants. Data was collected using questionnaires, interview schedule and focus group discussions. Systematic random sampling procedure was used to select 100 Church members. Beneficiaries of the HIV and AIDS programmes initiated by the Church were obtained using snowball sampling method. The findings were that the selected programmes provided services such as HIV prevention education, orphan care, support of people living with and personally affected by HIV and AIDS, prevention activities that involved campaigns, and caring for the affected and infected. The programmes were found out to be successful particularly in supporting the people orphaned by HIV and AIDS, reducing stigma, organizing training, seminars and workshops, conducting voluntary counselling and testing among others. They were found to be effective in curbing HIV and AIDS, though they face the challenge of lack of adequate funding. There was also lack of trained personnel which hamper the effective implementation of these programmes. If the government, Church, development partners and other well-wishers support these religious initiated programmes the war against HIV/AIDS pandemic can be easily worn as they are effective.
Biblical and theological basis for church involvement in community development in Kenya
(Edition Consortium Publishing, 2022-09-05) Wambugu, Peter Muriithi; Kagema, Dickson Nkonge; Micheni, Stephen
This study sought to establish the biblical and theological basis for Church’s involvement in the Community Development (CD). The Anglican Development Services (ADS) of the Anglican Church of Kenya (ACK) was used as the case for this study. The study targeted four Anglican ADS regions, namely: Pwani, Eastern, Mount Kenya East and NAIKA (Nairobi, Kajiado and All Saints). The theory of Reconstruction Theology (RT) advanced by Jesse Mugambi based on the process of social reconstruction as a paradigm for CD was employed. A sample of 330 respondents gotten from a target population of 1,827 was used. A descriptive survey design was employed. Utilizing questionnaires, interviews, and Focus Group discussions, data was gathered. Statistical Package for Social Sciences (SPSS) version 26 computer software was used to analyze the quantitative data using frequency and percentages, while thematic analysis was done on qualitative data in accordance with the study’s objectives. The findings showed that the biblical and theological basis for the Church’s involvement in CD was highly valued. To improve the sustainability of CD within targeted areas, it was recommended that the implementation of CD be based upon a strong biblical and theological basis as a demonstration of service to the vulnerable in the community.
Influence of Family Relationships on the Academic Performance of Children in Primary Schools in Kenya: A Case of Kianjiru Zone in Embu County
(Journal of Culture, Society and Development, 2017) Kagema, Dickson Nkonge; Njiru,Mary Muthoni
One of the key emphases of the Kenya Vision 2030 is education and training. It suggests education and training as a vital strategy to develop Kenya to be a middle-income economy. Family factors have been pin pointed as playing a significant role in enhancing the academic performance of children in schools worldwide. This research investigated the influence of family relationship on the academic performance of pupils in Kianjiru zone,in Embu County, Kenya. This was necessitated by the poor performance of pupils in the said area in the national examinations. The study employed the Descriptive Survey Design to collect information. The target population was 458 Standard seven and eight pupils in Kianjiru zone from where a sample size of 88 pupils was drawn. The data was collected using questionnaires for pupils that were analyzed using descriptive statistics and presented using frequencies, percentages. Statistical Package for Social Sciences version 21 was used to aid in generating a summary of results. The study established that families play a vital role in the pupils’ learning and that the efforts of the parents are important in improving the academic performance of the children. It further established that children’s academic performance is affected by parental responsibilities such as providing them with learning materials, helping them do their homework, doing follow-up of their school work and attending school meetings. A notable thing however was that differences in educational background of parents did not make any significant difference in the academic achievement of the children. The recommendations of the study were that the parents should be sensitized on the need of their involvement in the children’s learning. This can be by the school management organizing seminars or meetings to enlighten the parents on the importance of creating a good learning environment at home.
Marks of Discipleship in African Christianity: Lessons from Mary
(International Journal of Multidisciplinary Research and Analysis, 2018-12) Kagema, Dickson Nkonge
Following Christ is an obligatory task of every Christian. It is undertaking an endless spiritual journey regardless of the hiccups one faces on the way. This paper discusses the essence of discipleship using Mary as an example. Mary was a young Jewish woman betrothed to Joseph, and was from the insignificant town of Nazareth. She came from a very humble family background. She therefore did not have great expectations in life. But her exceptional character exemplified by her love and service to God, humility, faithfulness, dedication and determination made her adopt the title Theotokos (mother of God), a prestigious title prayed for by every Jewish woman. God chose her to bear his son, Jesus, the saviour of the world. This way, she became the first disciple of Christ. Following Christ has many challenges, but in all her desperation Mary said ‘Yes to God’ and followed Christ without turning back, following him up to the foot of his cross. Mary thus became the channel of God’s grace to humanity. Mary is therefore the model of discipleship in the Church, especially here in Africa where the Church is making converts and not disciples. Christians must know that like Mary, they are Christ’s bearers in the world. Following Christ is a lifelong process where one surrenders all for the sake of Christ. Discipleship comes at the second hour. In the first hour Christ reveals himself to us and calls us to follow him. In the second hour we make a stark decision to follow him regardless of the obstacles on the way.
Responsible leadership for sustainable development in the post-independent Africa: A Kenyan experience
(International Journal of Development and Sustainability, 2017) Kagema, Dickson Nkonge
The political independence in Africa was welcomed with joy and a heap of expectations, as Africans believed that the new African governments would bring sustainable development after years of subjugation, exploitation and oppression. Unfortunately, this has not been the case. Today, many years after the attainment of the political independence, many African nations largely remain underdeveloped with poverty, diseases, poor communication networks, illiteracy, tribal animosity, economic challenges, injustices, etc affecting every aspect of the African life. This study employed the descriptive survey design and involved a sample of 384 respondents randomly drawn from 8 of the 47 counties in Kenya purposely selected to cover all the 8 regions in Kenya. The study aimed at investigating why Kenya and African nations in general continue to lag behind in development as well experience other perennial problems many years after the attainment of political independence. The study found that although Kenya is endowed with numerous resources, it suffers from the lack of responsible leaders, particularly political leaders. Leaders in Kenya and Africa as a whole are available in abundance but very few are concerned with the welfare of the people they lead. The majority of the leaders are keen to retain power and acquire wealth at the expense of the suffering Africans. This has created a very horrendous situation in Africa as people struggle for the poorly managed resources. No sustainable development can be attained in a situation where leaders are not responsible. To attain sustainable development in Kenya and Africa as a whole we must start to think about our leadership. African leaders must realize that they are stewards who will one day be accountable for what they have done. Responsible leadership and sustainable development are closely interwoven. Recommendations are made on the need to develop our leaders for responsible leadership if at all any meaningful development will be attained in Africa.
Strategies for enhancing community development: a case of Anglican development services in Kenya
(Journal of philosophy and religion, 2022-09-05) Wambugu, Peter Muriithi; Kagema, Dickson Nkonge; Micheni, Stephen
This research sought to investigate the strategies employed by Anglican Development Services in enhancing Community Development in Kenya. The study targeted four Anglican Development Services regions in Kenya. A sample of 330 respondents drawn from a target population of 1,827 was acquired through a Descriptive Research design. Statistical Package for Social Sciences (SPSS) version 26. Quantitative data were analysed using frequencies and percentages while thematic analysis was done on qualitative data. The findings illustrated that there were well- founded strategies for enhancing Community Development in Kenya employed by the Anglican Development Services. These findings illustrated that the Anglican Development Services has an array of strategies for enhancing Community Development in Kenya. It is recommended that for the effectiveness of Anglican Development Services strategies, the target recipients should be expanded through a conscientization process, biblical and theological interventions and a participatory transformation approach, with the most vulnerable members of the community receiving priority.
Theological education in Africa in focus: challenges and opportunities for the African church as it moves to the future
(International Journal of Religious Studies, 2018-12) Kagema, Dickson Nkonge
The future of the African Church looks bright with its tremendous numerical growth, but careful assessment shows that it is failing to match numerical growth with the development of its personnel. Using the Anglican Church of Kenya as an example, this study shows that the African Church is in crisis due to the lack of enough qualified personnel to lead it. If the Church in Africa is thinking about its future it must think of the theological education through which its leaders are equipped. The African Church currently has a feeble theological education system, characterized by unviable theological institutions, irrelevant curricula, low enrollment, and unqualified theological tutors among other challenges. For the African Church to take the right path as it moves to the future, it must revitalize its theological education system so as to prepare a sufficient number of well-equipped leaders to match the rapidly changing African society.