ABSTRACT
In sheer size, funding, and political clout the Catholic Church dwarfs other religious missions in Marsabit and Samburu Districts. The church has one dozen large missions in the region, compared to four small Africa Inland Church missions, and has funding sources vastly superior to the Protestant groups. The Catholic missionaries in Marsabit District come largely from Italy. In 1953 the Consolata Order built a church, dispensary and primary school in Marsabit town, and within fifteen years had built missions among Rendille and Ariaal at Laisamis and Archer's Post; among the Samburu at Baragoi, South Horr, and Maralel; among the Gabra at North Horr and Maikona; and Elmolo on Lake Turkana at Loiyengalani. The largest settled Rendille population is at the Korr Catholic Mission, which in 1990 had a resident population of about 2500 people. Ironically Korr began as one of the most innovative and democratically run famine-relief projects of the Marsabit Diocese.
