ACK priest Padre Michael Watenga takes preaching to nightclubs in Kenya

An Anglican cleric, Padre Michael Watenga of the ACK Diocese of Kitale, has been trending online for what he describes as a deliberate outreach mission targeting the “lost sheep” — making appearances in entertainment joints and nightclubs across the country to preach and pray for revellers.

Watenga has in recent weeks become a familiar figure in some clubs, making visits during the Good Friday and Easter weekend to popular entertainment spots in Bungoma and Migori, where he says he is taking the gospel to people who may feel alienated from traditional church spaces.

In videos that have since circulated online, Watenga is seen making dramatic entrances into clubs, sometimes greeted by club hostesses — a spectacle more commonly associated with nightlife than the pulpit — before the music shifts to gospel tunes and he addresses patrons with short sermons.

In several instances, club-goers are seen listening attentively, with some also giving offerings during the sessions, blending faith and festivity in one setting.

Watenga has defended his approach despite criticism, saying it is inspired by scripture — citing Luke 5:32, where Jesus says, “I have not come to call the righteous, but sinners to repentance.”

“I realised we are losing it and that we need to reach out more to clubs… because watu wako huko roho safi and then they are judged by the society, by the church. We need to go there kuwahubiria ndio wapate kumjua Yesu,” he said.

He argued that many partygoers have long been judged or sidelined by society and religious institutions, and that meeting them where they are can offer a safe space for gradual transformation.

“Unajua Yesu alikuwa anawaendea kwenye wako… healing takes place in safe places… kwenye msee anafeel hayuko condemned,” he said.

Watenga’s approach has drawn comparisons to global faith figures who have blended entertainment culture with spiritual messaging, including Portuguese Catholic priest Padre Guilherme Peixoto, known for incorporating electronic dance music into faith-based performances.