Former Kenya Film Classification Board (KFCB) chief executive Ezekiel Mutua has defended Mombasa preacher Wilfred Lai after a sermon clip went viral.
A sermon clip in which Mombasa pastor Wilfred Lai tells congregants that KSh 200 is too small a tithe has gone viral, splitting opinion across the country.
Pastor Lai, who heads Jesus Celebration Centre (JCC), was filmed telling congregants that God does not accept small tithes. Many Kenyans online were quick to condemn the remark as manipulative and out of touch.
Mutua: Clip taken out of context
Former Kenya Film Classification Board (KFCB) chief executive Ezekiel Mutua has dismissed the criticism, saying the short clip does not show the full picture of Pastor Lai.
“I have tried to examine the context about the viral clip by Pastor Lai on giving and here is my take: Pastor Lai is not the kind of preacher who would deliver such a message out of desperation or for personal gain from congregational giving,” Mutua wrote in his statement.
He described Lai as a seasoned preacher whose ministry and business interests place him among Africa’s most accomplished.
“He is an established, seasoned preacher, with a ministry and business footprint that place him among Africa’s most accomplished preachers. He is not a man in need,” Mutua said.
According to Mutua, Lai was speaking from spiritual authority rather than financial pressure.
Mutua points to Lai’s ministry record
Mutua said Pastor Lai was teaching a principle to his followers, not making a plea for money.
“He was teaching a principle to his own spiritual children, speaking from a place of conviction, experience, and fatherly concern. Over the years, I have seen him support fellow preachers, artists, and elderly people generously — often quietly and to the tune of millions,” Mutua said.
Growth of the ministry
Mutua pointed to JCC’s growth under Lai. He said the church has grown from about 60 members to more than 10,000.
It now has branches in Kenya, the United Kingdom and the United States, according to Mutua.
Lai is the lead pastor of the megachurch, whose headquarters are in Bamburi, Mombasa. He is also one of the pioneers of media ministry, having hosted a programme on KTN. Mutua also noted that giving has long been a theme of his teaching.
‘A few seconds’
Mutua urged critics not to judge a lifetime of work on a short clip.
“It is unfair to reduce a lifelong ministry to a few seconds taken out of a viral clip.”
He added that Lai had earned the right to speak plainly. “He has earned the poetic license to speak on life, faith, and stewardship like a father,” he said.
