New Kenya Rastafari Place of Worship

NAIROBI, Kenya from at the recent opening of the newest Rastafari place of worship just outside Kenya’s capital, a group of devoted followers came together to sing rhythmic songs, read Scripture, and share teachings about living the right way. This special event  unveiling a tabernacle made from wooden poles and topped with iron sheets — shows how the community is growing in a country where Rastafari wasn’t always recognized as a genuine religion. That changed in 2019 when a court ruled in favor of a petitioner who faced discrimination after her school asked her to cut her dreadlocks, a hairstyle often worn by Rastafari followers. Because she refused to cut her locks, the student was expelled, but the High Court decided that Rastafari is a legitimate religion deserving protection, a decision later confirmed by the Supreme Court.

A brief history of the religion

All around the world, followers are known as Rastafarians, part of a movement that began in 1930 with the coronation of Ras Tafari Mekonnen as Emperor Haile Selassie I in Ethiopia. Rastafarians believe Selassie was the final incarnation of the biblical Jesus, and during his reign, many made pilgrimages to Ethiopia. For them, Ethiopia stands as a proud symbol of resistance against colonizers, and Selassie is Jah, their deity. Selassie was overthrown in a 1974 military coup and passed away a year later. Yet, the movement inspired by his reign continues to thrive in countries from the United States to Ghana.