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People group profile · PG014827

The Meru of Kenya

The Meru of Kenya, numbering about 2,375,000 people, are No Longer Unreached. They are an ethnolinguistic community of Kenya, Eastern province: meru District, northeast of Mt.

They are an indigenous people in the Bantu, Gikuyu-Kamba people cluster of the Sub-Saharan African Peoples. Their primary religion is Neo-Pentecostalism, and they primarily speak Meru.

Pray for the MeruPrint profile

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

Fast facts

Country
Kenya
Population
2,375,000
Affinity group
Sub-Saharan African Peoples
People cluster
Bantu, Gikuyu-Kamba
Primary language
Meru (mer)
Primary religion
Neo-Pentecostalism
Strategic Progress Index
No Longer Unreached
Evangelical
5% or Greater but Less than 10%
GSEC
5% or Greater but Less than 10% Evangelical
Lostness priority
Moderately Reached People Group
Region
Eastern Africa, Africa
Location
Isiolo and Meru counties: northeast of Mount Kenya; Laikipia county: Ewaso Ngiro river north bank

Where they live

Gospel status

The Meru are No Longer Unreached, which means 2% or more are evangelical Christians. In GSEC terms, this people group is greater than or equal to 5% evangelical.

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

Next steps for the Meru

  • 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

Neo-Pentecostalism · Christianity

Primary language

Meru · Atlantic-Congo family

89% speak Meru

Gospel resources in Meru

  • Bible available, published 2011
  • 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 Meru

  1. Psalm 27:1. Pray that new believers will be strengthened in the face of persecution, with the Lord as their stronghold.
  2. Romans 12:4–5. Pray that believers from many cultures will work together as one body so that the church is built up.
  3. Revelation 7:9. Pray for the day when people from this group stand before the throne with every nation, tribe, people and language.
  4. John 17:3. Pray that many will come to know the only true God, and Jesus Christ whom he has sent.

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