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

People group profile · PG014843

The Upper Pokomo of Kenya

The Upper Pokomo of Kenya, numbering about 73,500 people, are Unengaged and Unreached. They are a subgroup of Pokomo (pkb), a language of Kenya.

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 Pokomo.

Pray for the Upper PokomoPrint profile

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

Fast facts

Country
Kenya
Population
73,500
Affinity group
Sub-Saharan African Peoples
People cluster
Bantu, East-Coastal
Primary language
Pokomo (pkb)
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
Garissa, Lamu, and Tana River counties: upper and lower Tana river between Tulu and Masabubu

Where they live

Gospel status

The Upper Pokomo 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 Upper Pokomo

  • 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

Primary language

Pokomo · Atlantic-Congo family

100% speak Pokomo

Gospel resources in Pokomo

  • 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 Upper Pokomo

  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.

Download a prayer guide

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