Kenya has the largest number of Quakers in a single nation—about 119,000 in the year 2017[1] (according to the Friends World Committee for Consultation).
On April 23, 1902 three Friends—Arthur Chilson, Edgar Hole, and Willis Hotchkiss—set sail from New York to Mombasa, Kenya.
From there they made their way across by rail to Kisumu and then by foot to Kaimosi and set up a mission there on August 17.
[2] From that small beginning, Quakerism grew and spread throughout Kenya during the twentieth century, although it is still concentrated in the western area.
However, the Friends Church was banned by Idi Amin in 1973, until the end of his leadership of Uganda in 1979.
The first Quakers moved to Tanzania from Kenya to look for land, which they found on the border of the Serengeti Game Reserve.
Subsequent missionary activity from East Africa Yearly Meeting increased membership, with service projects aimed at agricultural training—popularly known as the "Lord's acre plan".
Kyela Monthly Meeting of Friends (Southern Tanzania) was founded as a worship group when a local man (Barnabas Mwaihojo) read about Quakers on the internet, which led to him setting up meetings in three local villages.
Quakers now have the following meetings in the south: Kyela Friends Church, Muaya, Mbeya, Tunduma, Sumbawanga, Iringa and many others coming up.
They still remain a part of Evangelical Friends Church Burundi rather than being a separate Yearly Meeting.