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The Chonyi community in Kilifi County has a new reason to celebrate, as the New Testament of the Bible has been translated into their native language, marking a significant milestone for the people.
This translation is expected to empower the community in their spiritual growth and contribute to the eradication of negative cultural practices such as witchcraft and sorcery, which have long been challenges associated with the region.
Speaking at the launch event held at St. Martin’s School in Kilifi, Bible Translation and Literacy East Africa Director Peter Mwanguti disclosed that the translation process, which was spearheaded by BTL took a decade to complete and cost approximately Sh40 million.
He emphasized the importance of the translated Bible in enabling the Chonyi people to comprehend God’s word fully and expressed optimism that this new accessibility to scripture would encourage positive cultural changes within the community. “There have been cultural practices that have kept the Chonyi people behind like witchcraft and sorcery. We are confident that once they engage with God’s word they will be freed from such beliefs”, Mwanguti remarked.
The Chonyi-translated New Testament Bible unveiled to the people during its launch and dedication in Kilifi.
Mwanguti also acknowledged the vital role played by local churches throughout the translation process, highlighting their commitment to ensuring the smooth progression of the project. He further disclosed that translation efforts for other Mijikenda languages are ongoing, with the hope that these communities will soon have their own translated Bibles.
“We thank God that we have been able to translate the whole Bible into Giriama, Digo, Duruma, and now we have the New Testament in Chonyi. We are still in the process of translating the remaining Mijikenda languages and we shall soon launch them”, he explained.
BTL Board Chairperson, Mrs. Kendi Lugamba, announced that work is already underway to translate the Old Testament into the Chonyi language. “We have not finished our work in Chonyi; we anticipate that we will be able to launch the entire Bible in Chonyi soon. The New Testament is a blessing to the Chonyi people, but we continue to work on the Old Testament”, she said.
She encouraged local churches to use the translated scriptures in their teachings actively, stressing the importance of enabling people to engage with the Bible in their native language for genuine spiritual transformation. Reverend Reuben Lewa, a Pentecostal Evangelistic Fellowship of Africa (PEFA) church pastor, pledged that churches in the area would fully integrate the translated Bible into their services.
“We were very much involved in the translation process because we understood its importance. We will use this Bible to conduct our church services and it will be used in the schools around too”, Reverend Lewa said. He expressed confidence that this would help combat harmful cultural practices and foster a more positive societal change within the Chonyi community.