Pokomo Bible out in the Market

By The COAST Reporter

The Tana River County Pokomo community is a happy lot after the Bible was translated into to its language.

Songs and dance rented the air at the Idsowe African Inland Church (AIC) on September 30, 2023 where a number of bishops from various Christian denominations gathered to witness the occasion.

To grace the fete, was the Senate Speaker Amason Kingi, Tana River Governor Dhadho Godhana, Senators Danson Buya Mungatana (Tana River) and Rafael Chimera (nominated), who all praised the translation to ensure the Bible was read in local languages.

Bible Translation and Literacy (BTL) national director Peter Munguti said it had taken 38 years to translate the Holy Scriptures into the Pokomo language – an exercise that cost more than Sh140 million to complete.

Munguti said the work of translating the bible in local languages is a very complicated and delicate task saying that was why it took 38 years.

“It is not only complicated and tedious, but also it takes a lot of financial resources. I want to thank God for those who have stood with this project. For the 38 years, we have spent Sh140 million plus in the actual translation and God is faithful He provided all that.”

BTL, according to him, has spent more financial resources in the literacy programmes it was running in the project, thus, urging the Pokomo to consider the bible in their own language as very valuable resource that had cost a lot of money and sweat.

He said BTL was in the process of making the bible in audio format so that it could be accessed over the internet around the world for use for discipleship, worship and for the total transformation of people’s lives.

Speaker Kingi praised BTL and its partners for translating the bible in local languages, which include his local Giriama one that was officially launched about two years ago.

This, in his view, would go a long way in ensuring that Christians are not misled through the misinterpretation of scriptures written in other languages.

He urged Pokomo Christians to use the bible in their own language to understand the Word of God and thus avoid being cheated by false prophets who exploit the ignorance of their followers for their personal gain.

“Through a Bible like this one, the problem we faced in Shakahola will not be witnessed in Pokomo land, I urge Christian leaders to jealously guard the integrity of the church.

“As bishops and pastors who have been called by God to help humanity to receive eternal life, do not allow false prophets to soil the good name of the Christian religion,” he said.

Senator Mungatana urged parents to teach their children the Word of God to protect them against false teachings like those that led to the deaths of hundreds under controversial preacher Paul Mackenzie.

Mungatana, who is the chairman of the special Senate Committee investigating the Shakahola deaths, said his committee would ask for more time next week so as to be able to interview more witnesses in order to write a comprehensive report on the matter.