The Handmaids of the Holy Child Jesus arrived in Kenya on January 4, 1989, invited by Rt. Rev. Bishop John Njenga of Eldoret. The pioneering Sisters—Sr. Mary Chokpa, Sr. Augustina Eke, Sr. Agnes Nnodi, and Sr. Christina Odoh—embraced temporary roles as nurses, teachers, and catechists until the first convent was opened on September 13, 1989 at Kaptagat, Eldoret Diocese.

In May 1990, the Archdiocese of Mombasa welcomed a second group of missionaries to St. Mary’s TTC, Bura, where HHCJ Bura Community was established. Under Sisters Patricia Okwuo and Louise Onyeanusi, the mission grew steadily, expanding its reach to communities across Kenya.

By 1994, with permission to run an existing nursery school in Majengo parish, the mission extended to Eldoret town. HHCJ Majengo Convent was blessed on March 3, 1995. Subsequent years saw flourishing projects including Ancilla Vocational Training Institute, Our Lady of Assumption Academy, and St. Brigitta’s Catholic Hospital.

Growing visibility inspired local vocations: in 1999 the first Kenyan aspirants began formation in Nigeria, followed by a steady yearly stream to Nigeria or Ghana, culminating in many professed Kenyan Sisters today.

In 2000, the Congregation was missioned to Kalimoni in the Nairobi Archdiocese, taking over a dispensary and girls’ boarding facility. These evolved into a Level 4 hospital and a rehabilitation home for street boys, offering shelter, healing, and family reintegration.

On April 23, 2003, permission was granted to develop a youth vocational centre and convent in Kiembeni, Mombasa, with official opening on April 23, 2005. In 2008, the Kenya Mission was elevated to regional status; on June 25, 2008, the Kenya Region was officially inaugurated, marking a milestone of growth and maturity.