PROBLEMS AND CHALLENGES FACED BY CHRISTIAN MISSIONARIES IN EAST AFRICA 1. Tropical diseases, for example malaria that killed them. Kraft lost his wife and child as a result of malaria attack. 2. Harsh tropical climate they were not used to was also a big problem. 3. They were few in number and hence lacked enough manpower. 4. Inadequate supply of resources especially food and drinking water. 5. They also lacked money to buy whatever they needed. 6. Poor transport and communication. 7. Impenetrable forests. Some of them got lost in the thick forests they would try to cross. 8. Hostile tribes like the Masai, Banyoro and Nandi among others. 9. Wild animals at Tsavo that ate them. 10. Inter-tribal wars that existed in East Africa, for example Buganda and Bunyoro were involved in wars. They made missionary work difficult. 11. Stiff competition from Islam. The Moslems especially at the coast of East Africa opposed the Christian missionaries. 12. Africa competition from traditional religion, where some people wanted to maintain their traditional religion. Christianity opposed African practices like polygamy unlike Islam. 13. In some cases they feared African magic and witchcraft. This discouraged the missionaries. 14. Language barrier due to the fact that the missionaries never understood the East African languages and hence poor communication. 15. Lack of geographical knowledge about parts of East Africa. 16. Hostile East African leaders who sometimes killed them, for example Kabaka Mwanga of Buganda killed a number of Christian converts. 17. Hostility from the Arabs traders who feared that the Christian missionaries had to come compete with them in trade. 13 | P a g e 18. Rivalry among themselves which led to wars such as Wafaransa - Wangeleza wars in Buganda. 19. Their work was restricted to some areas, especially in the kings’ palaces. 20. Distance from East Africa to their home countries was too big, hence they were always home- sick. 21. African people were not united and the spreading of the gospel became difficult. 22. Some areas were too remote like in villages; this made extension of the missionary work difficult. 23. Unfaithful porters who stole their property. 24. They were mistaken to be coming to take over power of some East African leaders, for example Bishop Hannington was killed having bee suspected by Kabaka Mwanga to be an imperialists. 25. Difficult terrain like the hills and valleys posed a big barrier to their movement.
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