April 14th, 2025, 11:37am MDT
Latter-day Saints’ Church of Jesus Christ sees the interior and exterior of the Nairobi Kenya Temple, the first home in Kenya as well as East Africa.
Interior and exterior photos and accompanying videos were released along with the new temple’s Media Day on Monday, April 14th at Nairobi and upcoming public homes.
Media Day began with an introductory press conference, where church leaders took local media representatives on a tour of the new sacred structure, explaining the purpose of the temple, contracts and ordinances, and answering questions.
The media were welcomed by Elder Thierry K. Motonbo, president of Central Africa, at age 70, and Elder Stephen R. Bangelter, a general director and assistant executive director of the church’s temple department.
Following Monday’s media event, invited guests, including local citizens, community, education and faith leaders, will tour the temple until Thursday, April 17th and Saturday, May 3rd before the start of the public open house except Sunday.
Elder Suarez of the 12 Apostles Quorum will dedicated the Nairobikenya Temple on Sunday, May 18th, so that one dedication session will be broadcast to all units throughout the temple district.
This temple is the dedicated and operational temple of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, following the dedication of the Auckland New Zealand Temple, and this year it is the second dedication.
The temple on the Abidjan Ivory Coast will be dedicated on Sunday, May 25th by Elder Ronald A. Lasband, a quorum of the 12 Apostles.
Interior and exterior photos and videos were first published on Monday, April 14th in the church’s African newsroom.
“We are surprised to see the construction of the Lord’s house in Nairobi, Kenya,” Elder Mutombo said in an African newsroom report.
“We are humbled to witness God’s love and gentle mercy in order to bless the saints and their families on either side of the veil,” he said. “The Lord’s House is built for worship and creates a sacred covenant of eternal importance. I love seeing His House in this beautiful land of Kenya and in East Africa.”
Design and Features
The exterior of the temple is a concrete structure in the area where stone veneers are made from Moreanos limestone in Portugal. The exterior design features an African lily (Agapanthus). This also dominates art glass and interior design – a repetitive pattern with native influences and circles.
Nairobi is one of the largest flower exporters on the African continent, so there are blue lavender African lilies and other floral designs and patterns throughout the interior design.
The interior furniture is British colonial design, with art glasses containing blue and green palate floral patterns, and the walls have neutral tones inspired by the Kenyan savanna.
In addition to carpets and rugs, the flooring also includes porcelain cerim malfil stones with quartz blue and Verde empire accents, with Portuguese Moreanos limestone being used in the stone skirts.
The doors and millwork are made of African sapele mahogany, with altar patterns, pues, desks and instructional rooms complement art glasses, floral arrangements and geometric motifs throughout the temple.
Kenya churches and their temples
President Thomas S. Monson announced the temple in Nairobi at the April 2nd, 2017 General Assembly. This was one of the last five temples he announced before his death in January 2018.
Nairobi serves as the headquarters city of the church in the Central African region and operates within the Democratic Republic of Kinshasa – one of the Lord’s Houses, the Congo Temple. The Central Africa Region was announced in 2019 and operated the following year. The churches of Kenya and surrounding African countries are attending Kinshasa Temple, as they are the closest homes of the Lord.
Once the Nairobi Temple is dedicated, the temple districts include the countries of Kenya, Uganda, Tanzania, Rwanda, Burundi and South Sudan.
On September 11, 2021, the groundbreaking Nairobikenya temple was primarily sided by the president, 70 years old, and Elder Joseph W. Sitati, president of the Central African Region.
In his remarks to the congregation, Elder Sitati, a Kenyan native who converted to the church in 1986, said, “We will signal the arrival of peace in the world, in order to affect people’s hearts. That is the special day.”
The first African convert in Kenya was baptized in 1979 by the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.
The church was officially approved in 1991, and ten years later, the Nairobi Kenya shares were organized on September 9, 2001. It is Kenya’s first stock.
Today, Kenya lives in nearly 80 congregations in Kenya, with over 21,000 Latter-day Saints.
Nairobikenya Temple
Address: LR #13646/4, Hinga Road, Mountain View, Nairobi, Kenya
Temple Announcement: April 2, 2017, President Thomas S. Monson
Groundbreaking: Elder Joseph W. Sitati will be hosting the General Bureau, 70 years old and President of the Central Region of Africa, September 11, 2021
Public Open House: April 17th to May 3rd, 2025, except Sunday
Become Devoted: May 18, 2025 by Elder Uris Soares, quorum of 12 Apostles
Property Size: 3.435 acres
Building size: Approx. 19,000 square feet
Building height: 107.25 feet
