Founders and Foundresses: Revising the History, of a Kenyan Independent Church

The Roho, or Holy, Spirit churches of Nyanza Province in Western Kenya spring from a charismatic Christian movement that emerged among the Luo during the colonial era. This article uses life narratives of active Roho participants to counter-balance existing historical literature which draws heavily on colonial records. Oral sources call into question the ‘top-down’ paradigm of schism that has dominated the discussion of African independent Christianity and emphasize the role of women in the evolution and expansion of the Roho church. This article also traces the gradual transformation of women’s involvement from the early years when—incorporating indigenous patterns of female spirit mediumship—women acted as soldiers and pastors to the present condition of Western-style institution and limited leadership opportunities for women.