In December, the Samburu New Testament and accompanying dictionary were launched at the Maralal Stadium in Samburu County in the Rift Valley, attended by about 3,000 people.
Until now, the Samburu have tended to use the Maasai translation. However, there are issues with comprehension, and some of the Maasai words are offensive or derogatory to the Samburu. This has been a huge contributing factor to the Samburu not fully understanding the Christian faith and therefore mixing it with traditional religion.
All of the 5,000 printed copies produced were sold. The initial cost of 150 Kenyan shillings for a copy was reduced to just ten shillings by the Deputy President of Kenya, Hon. Dr William Ruto. He had been very supportive of the Bible translation work and was present at the dedication. He donated towards most of the costs, helping to reduce the book’s price.
