Foreign Affairs Cabinet Secretary Musalia Mudavadi/FILE.Prime Cabinet Secretary and Cabinet Secretary for Foreign and Diaspora Affairs Musalia Mudavadi will on Monday join about 5,000 members of the Friends (Quakers) Church at State House, Nairobi, for a meeting with President William Ruto.
The engagement is expected to celebrate the church's contribution to Kenya's social, educational and national development.
Mudavadi, a lifelong member of the Friends Church, has played a role in fostering unity within the Quaker community and strengthening collaboration among its various yearly meetings. His efforts have been credited with encouraging dialogue and cohesion within one of Kenya's largest Protestant denominations.
Kenya has the largest Quaker population in the world, with an estimated 150,000 faithful, most of whom live in Western Kenya.
The Friends Church established its first mission in Kenya in 1902 at Kaimosi in Vihiga County, laying the foundation for education, healthcare and community development in the region.
The Religious Society of Friends holds General Consultative Status at the United Nations through the Friends World Committee for Consultation (FWCC).
Through the Quaker United Nations Office (QUNO) in Geneva and New York, the church promotes dialogue, peace, disarmament, human rights, refugee protection, criminal justice reform and climate sustainability.
The church was among the first Christian denominations to allow women to preach, hold leadership positions and participate fully in economic life. It is also known for promoting peaceful conflict resolution and rejecting violence.
In Kenya, the Friends Church has established or nurtured institutions including Friends Kaimosi University, Friends School Kamusinga, Musingu Boys High School, Kaimosi Girls High School, Lugulu Girls High School, Malava Boys High School, Friends Vokoli Girls High School and Kivaywa Boys High School.
It was also among the Protestant denominations that helped establish Alliance High School and Alliance Girls High School.
The Quaker tradition has produced prominent Kenyan leaders, including Prof. Miriam Were, Higher Education Principal Secretary Beatrice Muganda Inyangala, former UNCTAD Secretary-General Mukhisa Kituyi, the late Prof. Norah Olembo, the late Dr Benaya Majisu, former Cabinet ministers Elijah Mwangale, Joshua Angatia and Moses Mudavadi, as well as Prime Cabinet Secretary Musalia Mudavadi.
Monday's State House meeting is expected to highlight the Friends Church's contribution to nation-building, education, peace and social justice while reaffirming the partnership between faith-based organisations and the government in advancing Kenya's development agenda.
