At the border of Kenya and Tanzania lies a series of scenic hills that house a sanctuary used by people of different religions to seek solace from God.
For years now, dozens of religious people have visited Ol Doniyo Orok (Black Mountain) or Namanga Hills to pray and fast inside a hidden cave whose surrounding is also a haven for wild animals that are part of tourist attraction especially during the dry season.
At the entrance of the cave accessed through the hill on the Namanga-Kajiado road, we meet a group of women and children who had spent three days in the cave and were now leaving for Mtito Andei in Makueni County.
“We have been coming to pray in this sacred place every year. We are a prayerful family and believe that praying in this cave helps us grow spiritually,” says Lucy Mwende in the company of her five children.Inside the cave that has tunnels where people can gather in groups, a number of people are asleep while others pray. “I have been coming here since 2014. It is quiet, and the only thing you hear is water pouring from top of the hill that stands at 2,548 metres above sea level, with birds singing and noise made by some animals that come to drink water,” says Soita Oyaire, a teacher from Kajiado County.
Mr Oyaire, who worships at the African Inland Church (AIC) in Namanga town, says Ol Doniyo Orok has various Bible verses scribbled on the rocks and can accommodate more than 500 people in one sitting.
Frequent visitors come from Pentecostal churches in Machakos, Kitui, Makueni, Kiambu and Murang’a.
“Churches have some unclean people. Drunkards, thieves and even corrupt people walk into them and this hinders prayers from reaching God. For this reason, I come to this clean place to thank or even ask God to help me,” he says.
Inside the cave, there are cooking utensils and three fire places where food is prepared using firewood collected from the hill.
“Families come and stay here for even a month. Those who do not wish to fast carry flour to prepare porridge,” he says.
Simon Masikonde, who worships at Emmanuel Shalom Church, says he has been visiting Ol Doniyo Orok since 2009 when he first came with friends for prayers.
“We have people from different religious backgrounds here, and everyone knows what brings him or her to this place. We may pray using different languages and manners, but all prayers go to God,” he says.
Initially, the cave was used by the Maasai during celebrations but was open to the public after it was gazetted by the government. Oldoinyo Orok is one of the areas gazetted by the national government as a water tower.
But even as hordes of people spend their time praying in the hallowed caves, they have nowhere to relieve themselves since the place has no toilets.
There are writings on one of the rocks at the cave’s entrance quoting Deuteronomy 23:12-14: “You must have a designated area outside the camp where you go to relieve yourself. Each of you must have a spade as part of your equipment. Whenever you relieve yourself, dig a hole with the spade and cover the excrement. The camp must be holy, for the Lord your God moves around in your camp to protect you and to defeat your enemies”.
The place also has no electricity, and when it gets dark, worshipers use solar lamps. Meanwhile, they remain strong in spirit, and continue to pray to their maker, day and night.
