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Kenyan church celebrates birth of 'Black Messiah' at Christmas

Eunice Ayieta chicken trader in Kakamega town wait for customers in vein on December 23, 2025. She expected to make a killing this festive month but sales have dropped by 40 percent.[Benjamin Sakwa,Standard]

In a small candlelit room in western Kenya, worshippers dressed in white gathered at Christmas to mark the birth of what they describe as the "Black Messiah".

They prayed before a photo of Mama Maria, the African woman who co-founded their religious movement -- Legion Maria.

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