Faithful Members Attend Kenya Temple Dedication

On Sunday, May 18^th, 2025, temple worthy members, ages 8 years old and up, gathered in church buildings throughout the Nairobi, Kenya temple district, including Burundi, Ethiopia, Kenya, Rwanda, South Sudan, Tanzania, and Uganda, to remotely join in the temple dedication and listen to an apostle of The Lord. 

Elder Ulisses Soares, of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles, was at the Nairobi, Kenya, Temple to dedicate this sacred building of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, the first temple to be built in East Africa.

Faithful members, who gathered in the Langata ward building in Nairobi, Kenya, were in joyful anticipation of the dedication and subsequent opening of this beautiful temple, in their own city.

“To me it wasn’t like any other that I would think of, it was precisely for us and in relation to the things that are happening here. It made it a moment that I will cherish, the times that I’ll be in the temple, I’ll be reflecting back on the things that are spoken about today." Jenaro Mogire remarked upon leaving the dedication service.

Amon Nabutula expressed that this experience was so good for him personally saying, “it makes me feel like …coming close to the House of the Lord where it rejuvenizes the spirit in every other thing that you do, it makes you feel that you belong to the kingdom of God.”

Martha Mamo traveled 15 hours by bus, all the way from Kampala, Uganda, yet she states, “I was so excited even I didn’t feel tired… I traveled a long journey, I left my kids, my husband at home, they also sacrificed to keep my kids at home because I wanted to see, so I’m so, so glad.  Sharing this beautiful spirit with the saints here, …to join people, to feel the spirit of God, to feel this environment,  I’m so thankful, I love my Lord, I love these people, I love seeing His temple, near to us, close to us, …it’s the first temple in East Africa, I’m so so, so grateful for this moment."

The day prior to the dedication of the temple, Elder Soares took the time to visit the church area offices and view the construction of the new office building being built. He also toured the temple and gave a brief interview with reporters where he stated, “It is a real honor for me to be in this country to celebrate this moment with all the Kenyans and people around in all the countries, so I’m very happy to be here.”

“Now as it’s going to be dedicated, people are still invited to come and see the beauty around and to feel the spirit,” he said, extending an open invitation to all who were listening to come and see the beautiful temple grounds.

The temple will open its doors to worthy members of the church on Tuesday, May 20^th, 2025, along with the new distribution center at the same location. To make temple reservations, or to learn more about temples and The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints, go to the Church’s website at: Homepage - The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints