The Arathi, a term meaning "prophets", are a Christian

Christianity

Christianity is a monotheistic religion based on the life and teachings of Jesus as presented in canonical gospels and other New Testament writings...

 religious movement founded in 1926 in Kenya

Kenya

Kenya , officially known as the Republic of Kenya, is a country in East Africa that lies on the equator, with the Indian Ocean to its south-east...

. Along with the African Orthodox Church

African Orthodox Church

The African Orthodox Church is a primarily African-American denomination founded in the United States in 1921. It has approximately 15 parishes and 5,000 members, down significantly from the time of its greatest strength....

, Arathi was founded by the Agikuyu in the wake of Kenya's civil unrest during the 1920. Joseph Ng'ang'a and Musa Thuo are among the sect's most notable prophet

Prophet

In religion, a prophet, from the Greek word προφήτης profitis meaning "foreteller", is an individual who is claimed to have been contacted by the supernatural or the divine, and serves as an intermediary with humanity, delivering this newfound knowledge from the supernatural entity to other people...

s.

Arathi was outlawed in 1934, when colonial officials prohibited Arathi meetings.

Baptism

Baptism

In Christianity, baptism is for the majority the rite of admission , almost invariably with the use of water, into the Christian Church generally and also membership of a particular church tradition...

has remained a central part of the Arathi tradition since its founding, and is still practiced today. It is viewed as a symbol of the beginning of a new life, and followers receive a new name after their baptism.