About the Lutirichi,Lwitakho Lwisukha Bible

Translation of the Lutirichi, Lwitakho, Lwisukha Bible took 14 years of unwavering dedication from translators, review team, management committee and Church leaders to complete the project that begun in 1997 and ended in 2011. 

Background

The Abakakamega and the Abatirichi people make up three dialects that are a part of the larger Oluluyia language group based in the Western part of Kenya. Specifically, they live in Kakamega and Vihiga Counties. They are approximately 325,000 in number (95,000 Abidakho, 135,000 Abisukha and 100,000 Abatirichi). There is a high level of mutual understanding between these three dialects, which use the same orthography. 

Since Christianity is the predominant religion, with the Roman Catholic Church being dominant among the Abakakamega, while the Abatirichi are mainly Protestants. These communities were using the logooli Bible, Oluluyia Bible and the Lunyole Bibles, English and Kiswahili. The desire for these communities to hear God speak to them in their own heart language necessitated the language group and church leaders to request Bible Society of Kenya to initiate the translation of the Bible into Lukakamega-Lutirichi dialects. This dream was realised in mid-1997 when the project started.

BSK launched the Lutirichi Lwisukha Lwitakho Bible in March 2014 in a colorful event in Kakamega town and was well received by these communities. The Bible has two editions one with Deuterocanonical books and the other without. It has been translated to serve all denominations.

To order a copy of this Bible visit www.shop.biblesociety-kenya.org

This post was published on Tuesday 25 April 2023