PCEA Mutu-ini Parish was formally inaugurated on 26th February 2012, bringing together three congregations with distinct origins: PCEA Karinde Church, which began in 1945 out of the hardship of travel across the Mbagathi River; PCEA Mutu-ini Church, which started as home fellowships in 1983 and weathered real opposition before its permanent church was completed in 1992; and PCEA Manyatta Church, born from Mutu-ini’s own growth in 2003 and now home to over 150 English-service members.
PCEA Mutu-ini Parish is, in a real sense, three separate stories that grew into one. Each of its congregations — Karinde, Mutu-ini, and Manyatta — has its own founding story, its own early hardships, and its own milestones, before the Parish itself was formally constituted in 2012.
PCEA Karinde Church: Born from a River Crossing, 1945
Karinde’s story began with a practical problem. In 1945, the parents of Karinde village were dealing with the hardship of traveling across the Mbagathi River to reach Kerarapon for church and school. Their response was to build their own. In 1946, elders from Karinde — among them Jason Mukono and Livingstone Gitau — met with elders from Kerarapon to share the idea, which was supported. Three more elders, George Njoroge Mbucuca, Barnabas Regeru Nyoike, and Abednego Kagunya, carried the proposal to the Thogoto elders.
By 1947, the wider community had formally embraced the plan, and Jason Mukono volunteered a plot for the new school and church. A committee — Jason Mukono, Murimi Wa Kari, Njeri wa Heho (Wangungu), and Ngonyo wa Musa, assisted by Jedidah Muthoni Mathu and Rebeca Nyakonju — was formed at Sarah Njoki Wainaina’s home. They raised an opening contribution of Kshs 5 and built with bamboo sticks, mud walls, and an iron-sheet roof, using their own labor.
The school opened in 1948, with some classrooms converted for Sunday worship. By 1949, the congregation had grown to 120 members, including the late Rev. Geoffrey Muriu Kaburugu, then the youth leader. A baptism that year — conducted by Rev. Benjamin Gathaiya Waiyaki — marked a turning point: Geoffrey Kaburugu became the first to receive Christ as his personal savior at Karinde, and went on to become a Dagoretti Parish minister. He was soon joined by Mary Njeri Kaburugu, Jeddidah Mathu, and Peter Kamau Chege, and by 1950 many more had come to faith.
PCEA Mutu-ini Church: From House Fellowships to a Permanent Sanctuary
Mutu-ini Church’s own beginning had no building at all — it started as fellowship gathered at Geoffrey Mumira Kamau’s home, an idea championed by Elisheba Mwihaki Mbugua, Florence Kanini Muchugia, and Beatrice Wanjiku Mumira. In 1983, the wider membership was formally told of the idea, and a regular Sunday afternoon fellowship began at Geoffrey Mumira’s home.
A plot eventually came through the Government of Kenya, secured with the help of Geoffrey Mumira Kamau and Daniel Gathigi Gakonyo. Construction of a first semi-permanent building began in December 1984, funded and built largely through members’ own donated materials and labor — women in the church famously carried foundation stones in their kiondo baskets. That building was dedicated on 21st June 1987.
The congregation’s growth was not without real resistance: the church’s own records describe opposition from PCEA Githima to the idea of a new church nearby, difficulty securing a plot in the first place, and continued government-level pushback — channeled through Githima’s leadership — even after the semi-permanent building was finished. Despite this, the foundation stone for a permanent church was laid on 5th April 1992 by Rev. Moses K. Waweru. Today, Mutu-ini Church stands on three-quarters of an acre, with a permanent sanctuary, active church groups, and the distinction of hosting the Parish’s own headquarters.
PCEA Manyatta Church: Born from Mutu-ini’s Growth, 2003
Mutu-ini’s growth gave rise to a third congregation. In 2002, the idea of starting a new congregation at Manyatta was raised within Mutu-ini’s own Local Church Council, then forwarded to and approved by the Dagoretti Kirk Session under the leadership of the late Rev. Moses Ndungu. In the first week of January 2003, a Development Committee led by Daniel Kiarii Waweru, partnering with the Outreach Foundation, built a new mabati (iron-sheet) church in just one week — and on 12th January 2003, the new congregation was formally born, bringing together two former districts, Migunda-ini and Manyatta.
Retired Elder Geoffrey Muigai Kabaka was recalled to help Elder Esther Njeri Ngene lead the new 60-member congregation; in the elections that followed, Ngene became chairperson, with Grace Njeri Mumira as secretary and Edward Kahando as treasurer. The church was formally dedicated on 26th June 2005 by the Very Rev. Dr. George Wanjau. Growth continued steadily — a half-acre plot acquired in 2006 became the site of Manyatta Academy, and on 30th March 2008, two more elders, Kenneth Mburu Waweru and Grishon Muthee Kirigi, were ordained. After Elder Ngene’s retirement, Grace Mumira and Lucy Nyambura Njoroge were ordained as elders on 29th December 2013.
A later building project, championed by the late Geoffrey Muigai Njoroge (“Gakuru”) and again supported by the Outreach Foundation, replaced the original structure: groundbreaking and demolition both took place in May 2017, with the foundation stone laid on 13th August 2017 by Rev. Dr. John Gicheru Macharia, then the Presbytery’s Moderator. Ten months of construction later, the new church now serves over 150 members at its English service, alongside more than 70 church school children.
One Parish, Three Stories
PCEA Mutu-ini Parish was formally inaugurated on 26th February 2012, joining these three congregations — each with its own distinct decades of history — under one parish structure. For the fuller, first-hand accounts of Karinde and Manyatta’s histories, see the Presbytery’s own dedicated write-ups:
Frequently Asked Questions
When was PCEA Mutu-ini Parish inaugurated?
On 26th February 2012, uniting the Mutu-ini, Karinde, and Manyatta congregations under one parish.
How did PCEA Karinde Church begin?
In 1945, out of the hardship of villagers traveling across the Mbagathi River to Kerarapon for church and school — leading them to build their own, completed with a Kshs 5 opening contribution and member-donated materials.
When was PCEA Manyatta Church founded?
It was born from PCEA Mutu-ini’s own growth, with the new congregation formally established on 12th January 2003 and dedicated on 26th June 2005.
Final Thoughts
What stands out across all three congregations is how much each one grew out of ordinary people’s persistence — a Kshs 5 contribution, baskets of foundation stones carried by hand, a church built in a single week. PCEA Mutu-ini Parish’s 2012 inauguration did not create these congregations; it formally joined three communities that had already spent decades building, and rebuilding, on their own.
Want to Visit or Connect with Mutu-ini Parish?
Reach out to the Presbytery office to learn more about Mutu-ini Parish and its congregations.
Historical details in this article are drawn from PCEA Milimani South Presbytery’s own published parish records. Compiled by the Editorial Desk.