Worshippers from the Legion Maria movement gathered in western Kenya on Christmas Day to commemorate what they describe as the birth of a “Black Messiah”, highlighting a distinctive interpretation of Christian theology rooted in African identity.
In a dimly lit room in Nzoia, a key worship site, members clad in white robes prayed before an image of Mama Maria, the woman regarded as a co-founder of the religious group. Earlier, reporters encountered prophet Stephen Benson Nundu, who carried a framed portrait of Baba Simeo Melchior, revered by adherents as the “Black Messiah”. “Today is a great day, because the Virgin Mary gave birth to King Jesus in the world of black people,” Nundu told AFP.
Legion Maria, also known as Legio Maria among the Luo community to which many followers belong, was officially established in 1966 after breaking away from the Roman Catholic Church. According to the movement’s historical accounts, its origins trace back to around 1938, when visions of a mystic woman appeared to Catholics, conveying messages about the incarnation of the Son of God as a black man. Simeo Ondetto, later titled Baba Simeo Melchior, emerged as a central figure and is viewed by members as the returned Son of God and eternal spiritual leader. He passed away in 1991.
The church claims millions of adherents across Kenya and at least eight other African nations, including Uganda, Tanzania, the Democratic Republic of Congo, and Sudan. Estimates of membership vary, with some sources suggesting over three million followers in earlier decades.
Timothy Lucas Abawao, deputy head of the church, addressed perceptions during the celebrations in Nzoia. “A cult essentially is an organisation which believes in the leader. But we believe in Jesus Christ, and we believe in God,” he stated to AFP. Abawao explained that followers see Baba Melchior as Christ returned in African form: “Baba Messiah came for Africans… He took on the colour of the Black man, so that the Black man could understand him in his own language and receive salvation.”
This belief places Legion Maria within the broader tradition of African Initiated Churches (AICs), which emerged in the early 20th century as Africans sought to contextualise Christianity amid colonial influences and cultural realities. Many AICs incorporate elements of traditional spirituality, healing practices, and prophetic leadership, often diverging from mainstream denominations.
Similar movements include South Africa’s Nazareth Baptist Church, founded by Isaiah Shembe in 1910, where followers regard him as a messianic figure with millions of adherents today. In the Democratic Republic of Congo, the Kimbanguist Church, started by Simon Kimbangu in 1921, reveres its founder for miraculous healings and views him in a prophetic light. These groups reflect efforts to affirm African dignity in religious expression, countering depictions of biblical figures through a European lens.
Odhiambo Ayanga, speaking at a Legion Maria gathering, emphasised inclusivity: “As he came for the white, he also came for the black… God came for us all. That’s why in Africa, he has to be black.”
While Legion Maria maintains Catholic-inspired rituals like the rosary and Mass, its theology has led to separation from the Roman Catholic Church, which excommunicated early leaders in the 1960s. Scholars note that such movements address spiritual needs unmet by missionary churches, blending faith with local worldviews.
