A few days after launching his church at a restaurant in Nairobi, musician Sammy Irungu has dismissed rumors that he did it as a means to make money.
The musician held his first service at the new church located at the Blue Springs restaurant along the Nairobi-Thika highway on Sunday, February 4th.
Considering that celebrities in the Mount Kenya region have been starting their own churches, Irungu said he was not swayed by that trend.
Immediately after the service, he strongly criticized those spreading rumors that he started the church to enrich himself, stating that he has been making enough money from his music career.
“For those saying I started the church to get rich, that’s pure rumor. I have been earning good income from my singing. Secondly, I am a unique Kikuyu musician whose song has reached 17 million views on YouTube. My songs have 12 million, 10 million…now what hunger could push me to start my own church? I have built my own home, I have a V8 car. It’s not a lack of money that drove me to start a church. It’s a calling to spread the gospel,” Irungu said.
His statement comes after some people claim that celebrities in the Mount Kenya region are using their fame to start churches to enrich themselves.
In recent times, some ‘celebs’ who have started their own churches include Comedian Muthee Kiengei, musician Isaac Kahura, Paul Mwai, among others.
Kiengei (popularly known as Bishop Ben Gathungu) started the Jesus Christ Compassion Ministries (JCM) church last year, after claiming to have been expelled from the African Independent Pentecostal Church (AIPCA). His church is located in the By-Pass area, Ruiru, Kiambu County.
