Prototype rebuild by the IMB Innovation Team. The official site is peoplegroups.org.

People group profile · PG011606

The Kereyu of Ethiopia

The Kereyu of Ethiopia, numbering about 13,500 people, are Unengaged and Unreached. They are one of six major dialect groups of the Borana-Arsi-Guji Oromo (Ethnologue 16).

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 KereyuPrint profile

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

Fast facts

Country
Ethiopia
Population
13,500
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
Unengaged and Unreached
Evangelical
No Known Evangelicals
GSEC
Less than 2% Evangelical, No Recent CP Activity
Lostness priority
Frontier Unreached 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 Kereyu are Unengaged and Unreached, which means fewer than 2% are evangelical Christians, and there has been no reported church planting activity in the past two years. In GSEC terms, this people group is less than 2% evangelical, some evangelical resources are available, but there has been no active church planting among them within the past two years.

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

Next steps for the Kereyu

  • Pray that God would send workers to this people group
  • Begin sowing the gospel and seek out people of peace
  • Plant the first churches consistent with evangelical faith and practice

Primary religion

Sunni Islam · Islam

80% 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 Kereyu

  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

Know something we don't? Submit updates to IMB Global Research.