Nomiya was the first church to gain its religious independence

Nomiya Church was the first church in Kenya independent from the missionaries. Yohanna Owalo was among the first Luos to convert to Christianity. This must have been around 1901 or 1902.

Nomiya means “I was given” in Dholuo because Yohana believed he received the call to begin the church from God himself. Yohana Owalo got involved with the first colonial settlers early because Asembo was not as close to Kisumu as it is today.

He moved to Kisumu around 1900, possibly as a porter when the railway construction was approaching. He must have taken advantage of the railway to go to Mombasa where he worked for a magistrate called Alexander Morrison.

Owalo first converted to Catholicism but later left to join the Anglicans. It is in Mombasa that he had several visions and revelations that convinced him of God’s call upon his life. The most spectacular one that completely transformed him came in March 1, 1907 when he was taken to the first, second and third heavens by the spirit.  

He claimed that he saw various revelations in these heavens. Arabs, Jews and Luos are the only ones who were allowed into the heavens.

However, an attempt by the Europeans, Goans and Indians to gain access was not successful. The second heaven housed numerous angels while the third heaven is where he met the Godhead.

God instructed him to acknowledge that He was the only true God and beside Him there was no other nor shall there be any other.

He acknowledged that man; his creation had deviated into the worship of idols. “Go! Take a well-sharpened knife to circumcise all men. He who has an ear let him hear and adhere but leave the disobedient alone.” He made sure that this charge that he got from God is written in the Nomiya Prayer Book.

The history of this church lends credence to God’s supreme call that goes beyond race. Africans especially Luos had just experienced resident missionaries in Maseno from 1906.

Here is a man who had come to know of the Western God, embraced him and received a call even before he had read the bible well for himself.

Owalo was advised by his boss to acquire adequate education before launching his religious movement. He joined the Catholic Mission at Ojola in Kisumu until his beliefs were obviously against the Catholic faith and he was sent away.

He then spent some time with the Muslims in Kisumu where he was probably circumcised before moving to a CMS School in Nairobi in 1908.

He tried the Church of Scotland (PCEA) in Kikuyu around 1909. In October 1910 Owalo went to teach in Maseno but his controversial beliefs led to his expulsion in 1912.

He was not shy to share his belief that Jesus was not of the same substance as God. He was also against monogamy which to him was a European idea and not biblical. He was also opposed to the doctrine of the trinity, like Muslims he believed that Jesus was just a prophet of God like him.

He left Maseno to start his Mission to the Luos which he later named Nomiya Luo Mission. This is the first African Independent Church in Kenya its headquarters in Asembo in Rarieda, Siaya County.

The church began by confining its ministry to the Luo community which was in line with the colonial rule of confining churches to specific spheres of influence. Later when they began to evangelize outside Luo community they dropped the Luo from the name and became Nomiya Church.

Yohana died in 1921 and was buried in Asembo.

The church grew steadily among Luos in Kenya, Tanzania and Uganda. Unlike the church in the early days of colonialism, Nomiya kept out of politics and never confronted colonialism.

Nomiya has maintained this identity since such that very little is known outside Nomiya circles.