The Ik of Kenya

The Ik of Kenya, numbering approximately 1,800 people, are Engaged yet Unreached. They are an ethnic tribe indigenous to northeastern Uganda, near the Kenyan border. They mostly adhere to Ethnoreligion and Ik is their primary language.

Photo by Google. (2026). Image generated by Gemini 2.5 Flash: Ik

Fast Facts:

Affinity Group: Sub-Saharan African Peoples
Country: Kenya
People Cluster: Khoisan
Primary Language(s): Ik (ikx)
Primary Religion(s): Ethnoreligion
Population: 1,800
Strategic Progress Index (SPI): Engaged yet Unreached
Global Status of Evangelical Christianity (GSEC): Less than 2% Evangelical, No Recent CP Activity
People Group ID: PG014868
View on Joshua Project

Pray for the Ik of Kenya

Join others around the world in praying for the lost to be saved, the gospel to advance, the global Church to grow, and for laborers to be sent out and sustained in the harvest.

Dig Deeper (Religion):

Primary Religion: Ethnoreligion
Religious Affiliation: Ethnoreligion

15%
%
Ethnoreligion Adherents

Dig Deeper (Language):

Primary Language: Ik
Language Family: Kuliak

100%
%
Ik Speakers

Media Resources in Ik:

Films:

No film resources are listed for this language.

Bible Resources in Ik:

No Bible resources are listed for this language.

Or check out the Ik bible at Bible.com

Linked from YouVersion

SPI: Unreached yet Engaged

The Ik are Engaged yet Unreached, which means there are less than 2% evangelical Christian populations but there are sustained efforts at establishing self-sustaining churches consistent with evangelical faith and practice.

Next steps for the Ik:
Continue prayer and fasting for this group
Continue gospel seed sowing and church planting among this group
Begin training up local leaders to lead and develop strategies to reach their own people

Pray specifically for the Ik of Kenya

He went to him and bound up his wounds, pouring on oil and wine. Then he set him on his own animal and brought him to an inn and took care of him
readLuke 10:34

Pray that the lost among them will experience the kind of compassion Jesus taught His followers to show others, and that they will trust in Him because He is the one who brings healing to the broken and lost.

For all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God, and are justified by his grace as a gift, through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus.
readRomans 3:23

Pray that the gospel will advance and many will acknowledge that all have sinned, fall short of God's glory, and need a Savior to reconcile them to God.

For you did not receive the spirit of slavery to fall back into fear, but you have received the Spirit of adoption as sons, by whom we cry, “Abba! Father!”
readRomans 8:15

Pray that as people place their faith in Christ, they will remember the God who has given them freedom from fear so that they will trust Him completely as their good Father who meets all their needs.

The Lord is not slow to fulfill his promise as some count slowness, but is patient toward you, not wishing that any should perish, but that all should reach repentance.
read2 Peter 3:9

Pray that those God sends to cross cultures will patiently endure hardships as they share the gospel, knowing that the Lord is not slow to fulfill His promise.

Teuso Across Countries (ROP3 - 109982) reported in the following countries:

Strategic Progress Index
All

2 people groups

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