Church returns to cradle to fulfil pioneer chief’s vision
By Wangari Njuguna, July 17, 2025When the missionaries arrived in the country at the turn of the last century, they were welcomed by the then colonial chief Karuri wa Gakure into his territory in Tuthu Kangema.
Karuri gave them a parcel of land for settlement, and in it, there was the sacred Mugumo tree where the locals used to conduct prayers and offer sacrifices.
This is where the missionaries conducted their first mass, marking the birth of the church and Christianity in the area.
In the place of the Mugumo tree today stands a shrine made in the design of a tree trunk, and thousands of Catholics from around the world assemble here for prayers.
The 86-year-old Luigi Brambilla, the father in charge of Tuthu parish, gives an account of how the missionaries planted the seed of Christianity here, and later it spread across the country. Brambilla, who has lived in this area for several decades, has learnt the local Kikuyu dialect, which he speaks fluently with those around him.
He narrates that in the early 1900s, the construction of the railway line to Naivasha by Indian labourers brought in by the British colonial government was taking shape, but they had a challenge of getting food supplies.
The colonial chief identified this as an opportunity to trade with the British officers, and he organised how food would be transported to Naivasha, and in exchange, he would receive livestock, cows and goats.
This strengthened their friendship, and as he continued to interact with the missionaries, he was impressed by their teachings and medical care, and desired the same for his people back home.
Bringing development
In 1902, he met Fr Fillippo Perlo, one of the early Consolata missionaries who had arrived in Nairobi, Kenya, from Italy.
“The chief invited the missionaries to Tuthu, and since they had encountered a challenge entering Ethiopia, where they had originally intended to go, they opted to remain in Kenya,” says Brambilla.
The chief also ensured the missionaries were protected from the locals, who were already agitated by the presence of the white settlers.
Their arrival brought about some development as they also set up a school, one of the oldest in the area, a church and a dispensary where the locals would get treated.
From Tuthu, the missionaries moved to Nyeri and later spread to other parts of the country where they also established schools, hospitals and churches
Henry Kambi, 85 years old, a resident of Tuthu, recalls he was baptised by the missionaries at a very tender age after his parents embraced Christianity.
Though he has very faint memories of moments back then, he says the establishment of the school and hospital was of great help to the locals, as they are still used to date.
“We have the pride of being the cradle of Christianity in the country and Africa at large because this is where the missionaries began their work,” he says.
Recently, the family of the colonial chief handed over the title deed for the portion of the land that their father allocated to the missionaries 123 years ago.
Francis Macharia, the chief’s grandson, said that the gesture was meant to honour the friendship between him (Karuri) and the early missionaries.
According to Macharia, the land carries history as it is where the missionaries were first welcomed, where they built and lived, and it is also where the late Chief Karuri was buried.
“He was instrumental in bringing Christianity and Western education to his people, encouraging the establishment of mission schools and churches,” he said.
Joakim Gatimu Karuri, another family member, said their great-grandfather saw education as a tool that would empower his children and future generations.
“He believed that hosting the missionaries would help secure a better future for his children. To him, it was a favour both ways; he gave them land, and they gave us knowledge,” said Gatimu.
Church officials who received the document said the land will be used to build a new parish church, a community centre, and eventually a learning facility in line with Karuri’s original vision.