THE UNTOLD STORY OF DANDORA CHURCH.

In Nairobi’s infamous Dandora dumpsite, Pastor David Karisa established Rock Ministry Kenya, providing hope and support amid chaos. Despite environmental challenges and local gang conflicts, his church provides food, shelter, and mentorship. He is devoted to bringing light to one of Nairobi’s darkest corners.

The first time I went to the Dandora dumpsite, I was nervous. Despite its negative reputation, renowned as one of the most feared places in Nairobi, I was surprised to learn that a well-known man of the cloth, Pastor David Karisa, had opened a church inside the dumpsite. His purpose was to unite the community through faith and to help reform the young generation in that area.

Babu and Isaac, leaders of one of the gangs, offered to take me around, show me the famous church, and introduce me to the pastor. The 30-acre land is a site like nothing I have ever seen before. The area, located in the northeast suburbs of Nairobi, is the only designated dump for the thousands of tonnes of rubbish produced daily in the city. It has long been acknowledged as a dysfunctional and dangerous part of Nairobi’s municipal infrastructure. However, many great, yet unnoticeable, work goes on here daily.

When you enter the area, the sight of numerous people rummaging through things to resell welcomes you. You will also notice many small, makeshift structures made from garbage, which houses several families in the area. As we walk past the mountains of garbage, we come across various groups of men, some using drugs while others appear to be passed out. Babu informs me that it is prevalent for young men who seem stressed to use drugs as a way to escape the harsh reality of being broke or unable to provide for themselves and their families. The dump site has various groups of people—from garbage truck drivers to those who compact the garbage, hustlers looking for valuable items to sell, and families.

After walking for about twenty minutes, we finally reached the locked door of the church. We then began another quest to find the pastor’s contact details, as most people in the area do not have mobile phones. He is well-known in the area, and most people speak highly of him, which is equally fascinating. Babu finally got his contact information, and we scheduled an interview at the same location for a later date.

Sunday Service

Dandora is home to numerous small churches along the roadside, and on a Sunday, the streets are alive with various melodies emanating from them. After meeting with Babu and Isaac again, we pass through what seems to be an almost empty dumpsite, as most people have gone to this famous church.

I finally meet Pastor David Karisa, an ordained Minister and the Founder of Rock Ministry Kenya. I notice that many of his congregants are young people, corroborating the positive talk about the church from people I previously interacted with. “After being invited to preach by 21 young people at a place called ‘Base ya Bobo’, they all gave their lives to Jesus. That is where this church first stood,” he explains.

He freely talks about the challenges he has encountered after opening his church. The biggest was environmental challenges, like the recent heavy rains, as his church was flooded. “The last time my church flooded, the water stagnated for about 4-6 months,” he says. ‘Base ya Bobo’ is known for having different gang territories and sites. It was challenging for him to provide services in one gang territory without conflicting with another. Despite this, he trusted God to provide him with a neutral space where he could continue his mission of evangelism.

He also says that the challenges faced at the Dandora Dumpsite are many. The community looks up to him to provide for their basic needs like food and shelter. Others also request school fees to take their kids to nearby affordable schools. He says that he has witnessed a lot of suffering, mostly from men who battle drug abuse and societal pressure. Some people attend his church under the influence of drugs, but what I noticed is his acceptance of them despite their intoxication.

Transforming Lives

Dallas, a resident of the dump site, reveals to me how Rock Ministry has changed his life. “The church has helped me and others by sheltering us when it rains. Everyone gets help equally, regardless of gender. As for prayers, the church supports us fully.”

He continues; “If you love the Lord, you should be more active in church; once you do so, you will see a huge difference. God will bless you abundantly and open big doors in your life.”

Another resident, Samidoh Muraya, reveals that he has lived in the dumpsite all his life. He has hustled through life to get by and stated that coming to the church has given him something to look forward to every Sunday. He enjoys coming to worship and pray with other congregants. He states that his difficult life has meaning after coming to the Sunday service. He vows to continue coming and seeking counselling from the pastor.

Pastor David says that when he started reconstructing and building his church, he noticed many people found refuge there. In 2019, the church was fifteen feet above the ground. Unfortunately, after five years, the church sank in the garbage. The site was unpleasant, and he also encountered people who threatened him, so he vowed never to return. However, the people threatening him changed their ways when they heard he was coming to spread the gospel and distribute food to them. After talking to one of the gang leaders who helped him find a great space to host his church, the majority let their guards down and embraced him after they understood he had good intentions.

He says that on the day he made a vow never to return, the Lord spoke to him and instructed him to build a sanctuary for Him to facilitate widespread adoration. He explains that one of the challenges young people have, is uncertainty about the future. Without proper guidance and mentorship, individuals may find themselves on the wrong path—this is what fuels his desire. He wants to be a guiding light and an older sibling figure to young boys and girls and to share his life experiences with them.

His humble church has faced several challenges, but such setbacks have only motivated him to re-open his church and continue the mission of evangelism and reforming the future young generation. The people at the bottom rungs of the socio-economic ladder come here as their last hope to make a living from scavenging waste and exposing themselves to tremendous pollution. Pastor David offers hope, prays for them and even counsels young people, teaching them practical life and development skills while instilling a sense of responsibility. With him, hope has been found again in Dandora Dumpsite.

Edited by Pius Okore.

Watch the full video on YouTube below.