Ukarimu House

Ukarimu Ministries was founded in 2004, when the Kingsburys moved into the small 2-bedroom guest house, which had been built first. Not having any model to guide them, they founded the first student group, Praxis Fellowship – a mixed gender group of students who met to discuss important community issues, to reflect upon action which they, as students, could engage in as members of that community, implement – in short, it was a fellowship to learn how to be salt and light in our communities. Over the years, the student fellowships multiplied quickly to include gender based mentoring groups, Serefatha Sisters and Iron Men. Ukarimu also hosted special student events such as Valentine’s Day events, end-of-semester parties, various community activities, and today includes student hikes and game days.

Guests during the dedication of Ukarimu House

In 2008, while Chari was working on her master’s degree in counselling psychology at Daystar University, the Kingsburys were approached by a local pastor to work on a group marriage counselling/support group to help couples struggling in their marriages. This was an innovative initiative for marriage counseling, but Chari procured permission from her head of department, and together with Chip designed and executed the first marriage support group, which has morphed over time into the very popular Reality Check (see ministry tab for description), when they realized that working with young couples on issues early on would reduce the number of couples needing serious marriage counseling later on. Thus, the marriage and family arm of Ukarimu Ministries was born. This arm of ministry has rapidly expanded to include pre-marital counselling, marriage counselling, parenting seminars and marriage enrichment events. Most recently, marriage ministry training was added. Currently, the Marriage Ministry arm is run by the Achokis (Barnabas & Grace) as the Marriage and Family Ministry coordinators.

Over this time, the concept of Ukarimu Ministries matured and took more concrete form as the Ukarimu House was being built, with ministry beginning in a small guest house where the Kingsburys used to live while the main building was under construction. They finally moved into Ukarimu House directors’ apartment in the main building in December 2020 and received the first residential students in early 2023. As the ministry grew, it became clear that help was needed to run both arms of the ministry, and the Kingsburys began to look for directors for the student ministry. In 2020, God sent Ian and Stella Orunga, who both have a passion and burden for student ministry and shared a vision for this kind of ministry so close to the Kingsburys’ that one could think they had grown up at Ukarimu House. The Orungas moved into the small guest house in February 2021 and quickly took over student ministries as the coordinators. The ministry has flourished under their care.

After mentoring Ian and Stella Orunga in the ministry, the Kingsburys handed it over to the 2 as Directors and brought in Achokis (Grace and Barnabas) as Marriage Ministry Coordinators. The 2 couples were installed together with the partnerships liaison (Amanda Mugwe) in September 2025. Kingsburys moved to their retirement home in Nanyuki in March 2026. 

From Left: Ian, Stella, Amanda, Chari, Chip, Barnabas, and Grace during the handing over ceremony in September 2025.