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The Turbaned Christians of Kenya

The Akorino are a conservative Christian sect from Kenya. Wairimu Gitahi finds out more about this turbaned sect and their battle to hold on to their traditional ways.

Their founders were told by God, you have been given as a sacrifice to deliver Kenya from darkness to the light. Dressed in the white turbans and flowing robes, Akorino Christians have been a familiar sight in Kenya east Africa for decades.

Wairimu Gitahi meets this sect to find out more of their history, but also about their present and future. Modern ideas threaten their traditional values and ideas, which leads them to shun many of the trappings of contemporary life. Wairimu will attend a funeral, a huge event in the community which brings out the traditional elements of the Akorino, but she finds that even this important event has given way to the modern world.

Two elders of the village tell Heart and Soul about their conservative beliefs, such as refusing to shake hands for fear of losing your faith and also refusing hospital treatment so as not to stand in the way of God's will. Another member of the group tells Wairimu of how she had her daughters circumcised despite it being against Kenyan law.She meets singers and DJs who have moved on from their traditional ways, but tells her that they have not forgotten their roots, but are simply giving the traditional Akorino music a modern twist. And by speaking to them, she finds that the outside world is a place many traditional Akorinos fear, even though younger followers show that embracing what it has to offer doesn’t have to mean their faith is lost altogether, it’s just done differently.

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27 minutes

Last on

Mon 28 Jan 2013 03:32GMT

Broadcasts

  • Sat 26 Jan 2013 06:32GMT
  • Sun 27 Jan 2013 14:32GMT
  • Mon 28 Jan 2013 03:32GMT

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