Pastor Lai condemns corruption in fiery sermon attended by Ruto: "Every thief is cursed"

Published By The Statesman For The Statesman Digital
2 hours ago

A sermon by Pastor Wilfred Lai of Mombasa’s Jesus Celebration Centre (JCC) has ignited discussions online. The sermon, which was attended by President William Ruto, focused on integrity, corruption, and accountability.

During his address, Pastor Lai spoke strongly against corruption, stating, “Here we are not raising robbers. We are raising men and women of integrity, who pay their tithe and taxes.”

He urged the congregation to acknowledge that “every thief lives under a curse, they will die a premature death. They will die before their time because of a curse.”

He further said that corrupt individuals face divine consequences, saying, “Corrupt people are cursed by God and all these people in Kenya who are stealing and destroying our economy, they don’t begin by stealing from Kenya, they begin by stealing from God. The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom.”

Pastor Lai also spoke about his personal stance against bribery, stating, “I have never bribed all my life, and I shall never bribe because I am a righteous man. I fear God. You need to be like your spiritual leader. Tell your neighbour, ‘never bribe.’ This country is in trouble.”

Addressing the younger generation’s role in fighting corruption, he introduced a young pastor, saying, “I have a Gen Z pastor here, your Excellency, you will need to come and hear this young girl preach. She is one of my Gen Z pastors. When they went out in the streets running everywhere, they were doing that because they felt that the corruption in this country is too much and they could not see their future if things continued that way.”

President Ruto was in Mombasa to welcome the Norwegian Dawn cruise, a luxury vessel carrying over 2,200 tourists and 995 crew members.

The sermon sparked reactions online, with some Kenyans praising the pastor for speaking boldly against corruption, while others felt the message was directed at the president.

Florence Mkasa commented, “Hope you got the message and you will change your ways, Mr President.”

On X, Koko wrote, “That preaching was more of an attack & total disrespect. Even pastors pretend to be saints. Ruto should stop attending church functions… It should be about spiritual growth and not attacking congregants!”

The topic of corruption remains a significant issue in Kenya. In recent months, protests against government policies, including the Finance Bill demonstrations that began on June 18, 2024, have highlighted public frustration over economic challenges.