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Heart and Soul: The Turbaned Christians of Kenya: The Turbaned Christians of Kenya

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The Turbaned Christians of Kenya

13/07/2013 GMT

BBC World Service - Heart and Soul, The Turbaned Christians of Kenya, The Turbaned Christians of Kenya

The Akorino Christian sect face a battle to hold on to their traditions in modern Kenya

The Akorino Christian sect face a battle to hold on to their traditions in modern Kenya.

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

Wairimu Gitahi meets this sect to find out more of their history - and 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 attends a funeral - a huge event in the community - which brings out the traditional elements of the Akorino. But even this important event has given way to the modern world. 

Two elders of the village explain their conservative beliefs, such as refusing to shake hands for fear of losing your faith and refusing hospital treatment, so as not to stand in the way of God's will. Another member speaks about 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, and tell her that they have not forgotten their roots, but are simply giving the traditional Akorino music a modern twist. And, Wairimu 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.

Heart and Soul: The Turbaned Christians of Kenya

BBC World Service

Wairimu Gitahi meets the Akorino cult of Kenya to hear how they worship, and how this traditional religious group is changing.

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