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People group profile · PG011558

The Borana of Ethiopia

The Borana of Ethiopia, numbering about 975,000 people, are No Longer Unreached. They are a Cushitic Oromo people of Ethiopia's Borena Zone and northern Kenya practicing the uninterrupted Gadaa governance system, which selects nine leaders every eight years and drove their 12th-15th century territorial expansion.

They are an indigenous people in the Oromo people cluster of the Horn of Africa Peoples. Their primary religion is Sunni Islam, and they primarily speak Borana-Arsi-Guji Oromo.

Pray for the BoranaPrint profile

AI-generated illustration representing the Borana people
AI-generated illustration, not a photograph. Photo by Google. (2026). Image generated by Gemini 2.5 Flash: Borana

Fast facts

Country
Ethiopia
Population
975,000
Affinity group
Northern African and Middle Eastern Peoples
People cluster
Oromo
Primary language
Borana-Arsi-Guji Oromo (gax)
Primary religion
Sunni Islam
Strategic Progress Index ?
No Longer Unreached
Evangelical
2% or Greater but Less than 5%
GSEC ?
2% or Greater but Less than 5% Evangelical
Lostness priority ?
Minimally Reached People Group
Region
Eastern Africa, Africa
Location
Afar, Amhara, and Somali regions; Oromia region: south; Southern Nations, Nationalities, and Peoples’ region

Where they live

Gospel status

The Borana are No Longer Unreached, which means 2% or more are evangelical Christians. In GSEC terms, this people group is greater than or equal to 2% evangelical.

  • Congregations exist Yes
  • Church planting in the last two years No Churches Planted

Next steps for the Borana

  • Pray for the churches among this group to grow in faithfulness and maturity
  • Equip believers to reach the unreached peoples around them
  • Send out laborers from this people to the nations

Primary religion

Sunni Islam · Islam

90% adherents

Primary language

Borana-Arsi-Guji Oromo · Afro-Asiatic family

100% speak Borana-Arsi-Guji Oromo

Gospel resources in Borana-Arsi-Guji Oromo

  • Bible available, published 2022
  • JESUS Film available
  • Radio programs not available
  • Gospel recordings available
  • Audio resources available
  • Bible stories not available

Films

Bibles

Find more at the JESUS Film Project, Bible.com and Faith Comes by Hearing.

Pray for the Borana

  1. 2 Timothy 2:2. Pray for faithful local leaders who will teach others, so that the church multiplies.
  2. Ephesians 5:8. Pray that those walking in darkness will turn to the light and live as children of light.
  3. Romans 10:14–15. Ask God to send messengers, so that people can hear, believe and call on the name of the Lord.
  4. Matthew 9:37–38. Ask the Lord of the harvest to send out laborers into his harvest field.

Download a prayer guide

Borana in other countries

The same people is also reported in 1 other country.

People groupCountryPopulationStatus
BoranaKenya214,000Engaged yet Unreached

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