People group profile · PG033493
The Coastal Swahili of Kenya
The Coastal Swahili of Kenya, numbering about 60,000 people, are Engaged yet Unreached. They are a Swahili people of Kenya's coast centered on Lamu Town, founded in 1370 and Kenya's oldest continually inhabited settlement, whose culture blends Bantu, Arab, Persian, and Indian influences built through Indian Ocean trade and shared Islamic faith.
They are an indigenous people in the Bantu, Swahili people cluster of the Sub-Saharan African Peoples. Their primary religion is Sunni Islam, and they primarily speak Swahili (individual language).
Fast facts
- Country
- Kenya
- Population
- 60,000
- Affinity group
- Sub-Saharan African Peoples
- People cluster
- Bantu, Swahili
- Primary language
- Swahili (individual language) (swh)
- Primary religion
- Sunni Islam
- Strategic Progress Index
- Engaged yet Unreached
- Evangelical
- No Known Evangelicals
- GSEC
- Less than 2% Evangelical, No Recent CP Activity
- Lostness priority
- Frontier Unreached People Group
- Region
- Eastern Africa, Africa
Where they live
Gospel status
The Coastal Swahili 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 Coastal Swahili
- 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
Swahili (individual language) · Atlantic-Congo family
100% speak Swahili (individual language)
Gospel resources in Swahili (individual language)
- Bible available
- JESUS Film available
- Radio programs available
- Gospel recordings available
- Audio resources available
- Bible stories not available
Films
- Magdalena (Swahili, Tanzania)
- The Savior (Swahili, Kenya)
Bibles
- Habari Njema (Interconfessional) · video, audio
Find more at the JESUS Film Project, Bible.com and Faith Comes by Hearing.
Pray for the Coastal Swahili
- Romans 12:4–5. Pray that believers from many cultures will work together as one body so that the church is built up.
- Revelation 7:9. Pray for the day when people from this group stand before the throne with every nation, tribe, people and language.
- John 17:3. Pray that many will come to know the only true God, and Jesus Christ whom he has sent.
- Psalm 27:1. Pray that new believers will be strengthened in the face of persecution, with the Lord as their stronghold.
Swahili in other countries
The same people (ROP3 109644) is reported in 16 other countries.
| People group | Country | Population | Status |
|---|---|---|---|
| Coastal Swahili | Tanzania | 1,095,000 | Engaged yet Unreached |
| Arabized Africans | Saudi Arabia | 554,000 | Unengaged and Unreached |
| Swahili | United States | 82,000 | No Longer Unreached |
| Central Swahili | Congo, Democratic Republic of the | 64,500 | Unengaged and Unreached |
| Bantu Swahili | Somalia | 55,000 | Unengaged and Unreached |
| Swahili | Zambia | 39,000 | No Longer Unreached |
| Swahili | Sudan | 34,000 | Unengaged and Unreached |
| Black Africans | United Arab Emirates | 30,500 | Engaged yet Unreached |
| Swahili | Rwanda | 20,500 | Unengaged and Unreached |
| Swahili | Mozambique | 18,500 | Engaged yet Unreached |
| Swahili | Burundi | 14,500 | Unengaged and Unreached |
| Swahili | Mayotte | 10,500 | Engaged yet Unreached |
| Swahili | Canada | 9,300 | Unengaged and Unreached |
| Swahili | Uganda | 5,500 | Unengaged and Unreached |
| Swahili | Comoros | 1,200 | Engaged yet Unreached |
| Swahili | Seychelles | 600 | Engaged yet Unreached |
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