The Chuka are a people that are socio-politically classified under the Meru people group, which comprises the Imenti, Tigania, Igembe, Igoji, Miutuni, Mwimbi, Muthambi and Tharaka. The Tharaka and Chuka people are sometimes classified as distinct (Fedders & Salvadori, 1989) but they refer to themselves as Meru when defining their socio-political grouping. They are found in Tharaka Nithi County, former Eastern Province. They dwell on the south-eastern slopes of Mt. Kenya and cover the area between the Thuci River in the south and the Nithi River in the north. They were estimated to have a population of 70,000 people (SIL 1980); however, their current population is not well known because the 2009 Kenya National Population Census Report classified them under the Meru people, who have a population of 1,658,108.

Given their growth since 1980, their current population should be more than 70,000. The community engages in agricultural activities as their main source of livelihood. They produce a variety of crops, including sorghum, mangoes, oranges, and green grams. The wide rangelands and vegetation cover in their area are suitable for honey production, which is mainly marketed locally in raw form. The people speak Gichuka, which is one of the dialects of Kimeru language.

Most of them largely practice Christianity, with a small minority as Muslims and traditional religions. The Chuka people have been using the Meru and Gikuyu Bibles. However, from the findings of a survey carried out by BTL, those Scriptures do not adequately serve them because of semantic shift (some words used in Gikuyu are derogatory among the Chuka). The Chuka pastors and church elders interviewed also added that they do not understand some phrases and words that have been used in the Gikuyu Bible. This they argue has led to misinterpretation of Scriptures and the Chuka People not fully understanding and embracing the word of God in its entirety. The Chuka Church is also enthusiastic about having the Scriptures translated into their language. This was evident in the communities participating in the initial language development process.

The journey of getting the Chuka Scriptures began in the year 2010, when a few church members from Magumoni Presbytery, led by Rev. Samuel Riungu Muratha, met two Bible Translation and Literacy officials from BTL headquarters at PCEA Kibugua to discuss the viability of a Gichuka translation. In 2012, the church leaders in Chuka wrote to BTL requesting that the Bible be translated into the Gichuka language, and in 2013, BTL sent a sociolinguistic survey team, led by Manasseh Wekunda, to evaluate the vitality of the language. The survey confirmed that Gichuka was still vibrant and widely used across generations. It also revealed that the Chuka people struggled with Scriptures from the neighboring languages, leading to misinterpretations; hence, the need for a Gichuka Bible translation.

In summary, the information below shows the milestones that the Project has undergone since when the request for a Bible in the Gichuka language was made. It is with great joy that the New Testament has been completed, dedicated, and launched, and translation for the Old Testament is ongoing.

● 2012 – Chuka church leaders request a Bible in Gichuka.
● 2013 – Sociolinguistic survey confirms the need for a dedicated translation.
● June 2014 – Project begins with first staff recruitment.
● 16th September 2014 – Official project launch at PCEA Chuka Town.
● 2015 – Gichuka dictionary (5,000+ entries), orthography guide, and first book (Ngono cia Achuka) published. Establishment of the Oral Bible Storying initiative.
● January 2016 – Bible translation officially begins with the Gospel of Luke.
● 28th January 2017 – Gospel of Luke launched (2,000 copies distributed).
● 10th April 2019 – Gichuka Jesus Film launched, leading to thousands of viewing
   and over 2,000 conversions.
● 21st March 2021 – Selected Pauline Epistles launched and distributed.
● 2024 – Oral Bible Storying initiative concludes after several years of impact in
    schools.
● June 2025 – Gichuka New Testament Audio Bible recorded in partnership with Faith
    Comes by Hearing.
● 18th October 2025 – Dedication of the Gichuka New Testament.

Read more about Chuka Bible Translation, literacy and culture at https://gichuka.com.

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