the contribution and influence of the seventh-day adventist church in the development of post ...

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THE CONTRIBUTION AND INFLUENCE OF THE SEVENTH-DAY ADVENTIST
CHURCH IN THE DEVELOPMENT OF POST-SECONDARY EDUCATION IN SOUTH
NYANZA, 1971-2000

by

ERIC NYANKANGA MAANGI
Submitted in accordance with the requirements for the degree of

DOCTOR OF EDUCATION

in the subject

HISTORY OF EDUCATION

at the

UNIVERSITY OF SOUTH AFRICA

SUPERVISOR: PROF JOHANNES SEROTO
DECLARATION

I Eric Nyankanga Maangi, declare that, THE CONTRIBUTION AND INFLUENCE OF THE
SEVENTH-DAY ADVENTIST CHURCH IN THE DEVELOPMENT OF POST-
SECONDARY EDUCATION IN SOUTH NYANZA, 1971-2000: is my work and that all the
sources that I have used or quoted have been indicated and acknowledged by means of complete
references and that this work has not been submitted to any university for the purpose of
obtaining a degree.

Signed…………………………… …….. Date: 14/11/2014
Eric Nyankanga Maangi
Student No: 51828790

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DEDICATION

This work is dedicated to the educators who have touched my life and those of many others: my
parents, Elder Roman Maangi Nyankanga and Mama Birita Roman; the late Henry Nyabuto
Nyankanga; my sisters and my brother and Uncle Prof Richard Ombui Nyankanga who
influenced me in a very big way; and my own dear family, lady Hanneth Moraa and sons, Lionel
Nyabuto and Trevor Maisiba. Their patience and understanding contributed immensely to the
successful completion of this thesis.

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ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS

 I received much support and encouragement in completing this thesis. My special
appreciation goes to my supervisor, Prof Johannes Seroto for his valuable advice, special
attention, critical supervision and guidance. His intellectual acumen and scholarly
criticism contributed in shaping my ideas in the course of my researching.
 In the same breadth I would like to thank Dr Evans Moseti Benecha of the Department of
Physics for his constant encouragement and the special support I received from him in the
course of my study.
 Further, gratitude goes to Lady Hanneth Moraa Nyankanga and our sons, Lionel Garang’
Nyabuto Nyakanga and Trevor Manuel Maisiba Nyankanga for their support. They woke
me at odd hours of the night and in the very early morning to read for this work. Their
support went a long way to challenge and motivate me whenever I felt like giving up.
 I also thank my parents, Elder Roman Maangi Nyankanga and Mama Birita Roman, and
uncle Prof Richard Ombui Nyankanga whose love and kindness compelled them to make
enormous material and moral sacrifices to allow me to attain this level of education. I
thank them especially for their prayers which have always been sources of great
inspiration to me when all seemed lost.
 I am also grateful to Prof Sorobea Nyachieo Bogonko for his motivation and keen interest
in my scholarly investigation of the history of the Seventh-Day Adventist Church in
South Nyanza with special reference to the role of this church to the development of post-
secondary education. He was interested in the initial development of proposal and
encouraged me to enroll at the University of South Africa.
 I cannot forget my friends, Joshua Benecha, Caroline Nekesa, Onduso Jared Mogire,
Wanyama Wasilwa, Duke Musa and Amos Nyankanga among others for assisting me in
various ways. My sincere thanks go to the staff of the University of South Africa Library
and the Kenya National Library, Kisii who made the necessary literature available to me.
My sincere gratitude also goes to all my informants who willingly gave me useful
information on this topic.
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 Colleagues at work (Kiabusura Secondary School) provided much encouragement.
Principal Begi, Fredrick Ocharo, Joshua Benecha, Esther Kaburu, Mark Ongiri, Vincent
Ogembo and Navin Nyambane contributed to my efforts.
 My final thanks are due to Ms Doris, Ms Linnet, my in-law, Wesley Moseti and my
brother, David (Obisa) for typing this thesis. However, I am fully responsible for all ideas
expressed in this thesis and I am responsible for any errors of omission or commission.
 There are many other people who I cannot mention by name but whose support and
prayers were critical to the success of this thesis. Thank you.
 Finally, glory is to God Almighty for His divine grace which was sufficient at all times.
Amen.
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SUMMARY

This study discusses the contribution and influence of the Seventh-Day Adventist (SDA) Church
to the development of post- secondary education in South Nyanza, Kenya. This has been done by
focusing on the establishment and development of Kamagambo and Nyanchwa Adventist
colleges whose history from 1971 to 2000 has been documented. This is a historical study which
has utilized both the primary and secondary source of data.

For better and clear insights into this topic, the study starts by discussing the coming of Christian
missionaries to Africa. The missionaries who came to Africa introduced western education. The
origin of the SDA church to Africa has also been documented. The SDA church was formed as
a result of the Christian evangelical revivals in Europe. This called for the Christians to base
their faith on the Bible. As people read various prophecies in the bible, they thought that what
they read was to be fulfilled in their lifetime. From 1830s to 1840s preachers and lay people from
widely different denominations United States of America around William Miller (1782-1849).
This led to the establishment of the SDA Church in 1844.

The study focuses on the coming of the SDA Missionaries to South-Nyanza. The efforts of the
SDA Missionaries to introduce Western education in the said area, an endeavor which started at
Gendia in 1906 has been discussed. From Gendia they established Wire mission and Kenyadoto
mission in 1909. In 1912 Kamagambo and Nyanchwa, the subject of this study became mission
and educational centres. The SDA mission, as was the case with other missionaries who
evangelized South Nyanza, took the education of Africans as one of the most important goals for
the process of African evangelization. The Adventist message penetrated the people of South
Nyanza through their educational work. The conversion of the first converts can be ascribed to
the desire for the education which accompanied the new religion.

Kamagambo Adventist College became the first college in South Nyanza. Equally, Nyanchwa
became the first college in the Gusii part of South Nyanza. The two colleges exercised a great
influence on the local community especially in the socio-economic and educational fields. At the
same time the colleges have also contributed enormously to the community’s development
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through the roles played by its alumni in society. Besides this, the study has also recommended
some other pertinent areas for further study and research.

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KEY TERMS

Post-secondary education, South Nyanza, Kenya, Development, Seventh-Day Adventist Church,
Adventist Mission, Mission Station, Missionaries, School, Educational Centre, Adventism,
Adventist Education.
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LIST OF ABBREVIATIONS

SDA Seventh-Day Adventist
CMS Church Missionary Society
FAM Friends African Mission
AIM African Inland Mission
AYO Adventist Youth Association
DEB District Education Board
KAPE Kenya African Preliminary Examination
KJSE Kenya Junior Secondary Examination
TSC Teachers’ Service Commission
LEGCO Legislative Council
KANU Kenya African National Union
KPU Kenya Peoples’ Union
CSM Church of Scotland Mission

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TABLE OF CONTENTS
DECLARATION.......................................................................................................................................... i
DEDICATION............................................................................................................................................. ii
ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS ...................................................................................................................... iii
SUMMARY ................................................................................................................................................ iv
KEY TERMS ............................................................................................................................................. vii

CHAPTER ONE
THE BACKGROUND OF THE STUDY, PURPOSE AND PROBLEM

1.1 BACKGROUND TO THE STUDY .......................................................................................... 1
1.2 THE PROBLEM STATEMENT............................................................................................... 4
1.3 THE RESEARCH QUESTIONS .............................................................................................. 5
1.4 AIM OF THE STUDY ............................................................................................................... 5
1.5 SIGNIFICANCE OF THE STUDY .......................................................................................... 6
1.6 THE SCOPE AND LIMITATIONS OF THE STUDY ............................................................ 7
1.7 EXPLANATION OF KEY CONCEPTS .................................................................................. 7
1.7.1 Education ..................................................................................................................................... 8
1.7.2 Seventh-Day Adventism ............................................................................................................. 8
1.7.3 Post-Secondary ............................................................................................................................ 9
1.7.4 Development ................................................................................................................................ 9
1.7.5 South Nyanza .............................................................................................................................. 9
1.8 ORGANISATION OF THE STUDY ........................................................................................ 9

CHAPTER TWO
LITEREATURE REVIEW

2.1 INTRODUCTION .................................................................................................................... 11
2.2 STUDIES ON THE DEVELOPMENT OF WESTERN EDUCATION IN AFRICA WITH
SPECIAL REFERENCE TO KENYA ................................................................................... 11
2.3 STUDIES ON MISSIONARY CONTRIBUTION TO THE DEVELOPMENT OF
EDUCATION IN KENYA ....................................................................................................... 14
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