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People group profile · PG014822

The Malakote of Kenya

The Malakote of Kenya, numbering about 24,000 people, are Engaged yet Unreached. They are a Tana River people of Kenya formed through the blending of Pokomo, Orma, and Somali-Borana cultures, distinct from neighboring Pokomo-speaking communities upriver.

They are an indigenous people in the Bantu, East-Coastal people cluster of the Sub-Saharan African Peoples. Their primary religion is Sunni Islam, and they primarily speak Ilwana.

Pray for the MalakotePrint profile

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

Fast facts

Country
Kenya
Population
24,000
Affinity group
Sub-Saharan African Peoples
People cluster
Bantu, East-Coastal
Primary language
Ilwana (mlk)
Primary religion
Sunni Islam
Strategic Progress Index
Engaged yet Unreached
Evangelical
Less than 2%
GSEC
Less than 2% Evangelical, No Recent CP Activity
Lostness priority
Frontier Unreached People Group
Region
Eastern Africa, Africa
Location
Garissa and Tana River counties: Tana River north of Pokomo, between Bura and Garissa

Where they live

Gospel status

The Malakote are Engaged yet Unreached, which means fewer than 2% are evangelical Christians, but there are sustained efforts to establish self-sustaining churches consistent with evangelical faith and practice. 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 Malakote

  • Continue prayer and fasting for this group
  • Continue gospel seed sowing and church planting among this group
  • Begin training up local leaders to lead and develop strategies to reach their own people

Primary religion

Sunni Islam · Islam

85% adherents

Primary language

Ilwana · Atlantic-Congo family

100% speak Ilwana

Gospel resources in Ilwana

  • Bible available, published 2018
  • 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 Malakote

  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.

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