Mudavadi to lead 5,000 Quaker faithful to State House

Prime Cabinet Secretary Musalia Mudavadi celebrate Christmas Day at Friends Church Vokoli Yearly Meeting, Vihiga on December 25, 2025. [Benjamin Sakwa, Standard]

Prime Cabinet Secretary and Cabinet Secretary for Foreign and Diaspora Affairs Musalia Mudavadi will on Monday lead about 5,000 members of the Friends Church (Quakers) to State House, Nairobi.

According to sources the meeting with President William Ruto is expected to celebrate the church's enduring contribution to education, healthcare, peacebuilding and national development.

The meeting will bring together Quaker faithful from across the country in what organisers describe as a thanksgiving and engagement forum highlighting the denomination's historical role in shaping Kenya's social and economic progress.

It is also expected to reaffirm the partnership between faith-based organisations and the government in promoting national unity and development.

Mudavadi, one of Kenya's most prominent Quaker leaders, has in recent years played a key role in fostering unity within the Friends Church by encouraging dialogue and closer collaboration among its various yearly meetings.

His efforts have been credited with strengthening cohesion within one of the country's largest Protestant denominations.

Kenya is home to the world's largest Quaker population, with an estimated 1.1 million faithful, the majority residing in the western region.

The Friends Church traces its roots in the country to 1902 when the Friends Africa Industrial Mission established its first mission station at Kaimosi in present-day Vihiga County.

A year later, the church founded its first school at Kaimosi, laying the foundation for what has grown into one of the country's most influential education networks.

Over the decades, the Friends Church has established or nurtured more than 1,000 primary schools and over 200 secondary schools across Kenya.

These institutions have produced thousands of professionals and national leaders while promoting the Quaker values of peace, integrity, equality, simplicity and academic excellence.

Among the country's leading schools with Quaker foundations are Friends School Kamusinga, Friends School Kaimosi, Musingu Boys High School, Friends Chavakali High School, Lugulu Girls High School, Kaimosi Girls High School, Kaimosi Boys High School, Malava Boys High School, Malava Girls High School, Friends Vokoli Girls High School, Mbale High School, Vihiga High School, Kivaywa Boys High School, Keveye Girls High School and Kakamega School.

Quakers also played a significant role alongside other Protestant churches in the establishment of Alliance High School and Alliance Girls High School, institutions that have become synonymous with academic excellence.

Beyond education, the Friends Church has made substantial contributions to healthcare and community development through hospitals, vocational institutions and social programmes established in various parts of the country.

The church has equally distinguished itself through advocacy for peaceful conflict resolution, equality and social justice.

Globally, the Religious Society of Friends enjoys General Consultative Status at the United Nations through the Friends World Committee for Consultation (FWCC), the highest accreditation granted to non-governmental organisations.

Through the Quaker United Nations Office (QUNO) in Geneva and New York, Quakers facilitate dialogue, mediation and consensus-building while championing peace, disarmament, human rights, refugee protection, criminal justice reform and climate sustainability.

The denomination has historically been recognised as a pioneer in promoting gender equality, becoming one of the first Christian churches to allow women to preach, hold leadership positions and participate fully in church governance and economic life.

Quakers have also left an indelible mark on world history. They were among the leading voices in the abolition of slavery, the civil rights movement in the United States and campaigns for democratic freedoms.

Their entrepreneurial tradition gave rise to internationally recognised institutions and companies, including Barclays Bank, Cadbury and Lloyds Bank, while Quaker leader William Penn founded the American colony of Pennsylvania.

The church has produced many distinguished Kenyan leaders, including Prime Cabinet Secretary Musalia Mudavadi, Higher Education Principal Secretary Dr. Beatrice Muganda Inyangala, public health expert Prof. Miriam Were, the late educationist Prof. Norah Olembo, the late Dr. Benaya Majisu and former Cabinet ministers Moses Mudavadi, Elijah Mwangale and Joshua Angatia.

Internationally, former United States Presidents Herbert Hoover and Richard Nixon were among the most prominent public figures associated with the Quaker faith.