“My village had a bad reputation. Most people here are devastated by alcohol and other vices. I asked myself, ‘How can I help?’ I attended many churches, but I noticed a big rift between the church and those struggling outside it,” Reverend Lawrence Bomet recalls.
Inspired by scripture and troubled by the exclusion he witnessed, Rev Bomet turned inward, and then outward. He spoke to his own brother, who also struggled with alcohol, and asked him to invite his friends for a small fellowship at his home. That moment, on June 8 this year, marked the birth of Upendo Fellowship.
“I converted my garage into a church and invited them in - men, women, and youth. I cooked cow-head soup and ugali. After preaching the gospel of love and acceptance, we shared a meal. They were moved. No one had spoken to them about God’s grace like that before,” he said.
Reverend Lawrence Bomet, the founder of the Upendo Fellowship, a church for the alcoholics and drug addicts at his home in Poror, Eldama Ravine on September 8, 2025.
Photo credit: Florah Koech | Nation Media Group
But Rev Bomet didn’t stop there. Seeing the growing numbers, he allocated a portion of his land and began building a permanent church structure, without calling for a fundraiser.
“My members can’t afford to contribute. I have built nice houses before without asking for help — so why not the same for a church? It is nearly done, and we will begin worshipping there next Sunday,” he said proudly.
His philosophy is radical in its simplicity: ‘Come as you are,’ - just as the Bible says.
If someone arrives drunk, they are still welcome. If someone brings alcohol or cigarettes, they are not scolded. Those who feel the urge during the service can step outside to smoke or drink and then return to worship.
“I told them, even if you are drunk, just come. Even if you brought alcohol and left it at the gate, no problem. If you want to smoke during the service, go to the washroom, smoke, and come back. God doesn’t condemn anyone. He heals in His own time,” he told Daily Nation in an exclusive interview.
Reverend Lawrence Bomet, the founder of the Upendo Fellowship, a church for alcoholics and drug addicts. He has converted a garage in his compound in Poror, Eldama Ravine Sub-County, into a church, where members gather every Sunday.
Photo credit: Florah Koech | Nation Media Group
One member once came to church with a packet of cigarettes. No one said a word. Later, he opened up, surprised at the acceptance.
“This church is about dialogue,” Rev Bomet explains. “They talk openly about what’s troubling them, and that’s part of healing,” he said.
Known locally as Damu ya Yesu (Blood of Jesus), the pastor starts each morning with prayers broadcast over a public address system, and his mission goes beyond adults.
Every Saturday, he hosts a program called “Sato Club” from 2 pm to 4 pm, where children come to play on a trampoline, slide, and field. Afterwards, they gather for a session on the dangers of alcohol, many having witnessed its effects firsthand in their homes.
Reverend Lawrence Bomet (centre, in blue shirt), the founder of the Upendo Fellowship inspects a new church building under construction at Poror village in Eldama Ravine sub- County on September 7, 2025.
Photo credit: Florah Koech | Nation Media Grouup
“Some members come to church hungry and shaking. I buy a cow’s head every Sunday, boil soup, prepare ugali, and we eat together. It is biblical to share meals,” he says.
From Monday to Saturday, Rev Bomet also offers farm work to recovering addicts, paying them Sh300 per day, keeping them occupied and away from drinking dens.
“I am at the cutting edge of helping the lost, and the devil doesn’t like it. Even some churches mock me. They call me ‘Lawrence na walevi wake ’ (Lawrence and his drunkards) and question why I feed them,” he laments.
“But I draw strength from the Bible. Even Jesus faced opposition, especially from religious leaders. I am not surprised. I’ll keep going,” he said.
For Ms Martha Chebon, a member of the church for two months, Upendo Fellowship offers what others don’t: acceptance.
Martha Chebon, a member of the Upendo Fellowship Church in Poror, Eldama Ravine Sub-County, during an interview outside the church after service on September 7, 2025.
Photo credit: Florah Koech | Nation Media Group
“Here, no one will criticise you for drinking. I love the preaching that the church is a hospital. Despite our shortcomings, we praise God. No one should judge us,” she says.
“No one asks why you came drunk or dirty. We pray, share testimonies, sing, and eat together,” she adds.
Another member, Mr George Bunei, says the church has changed his life.
Mr George Bunei,a member of the Upendo Fellowship Church in Poror, Eldama Ravine sub-County, outside the church after service on September 7, 2025.
Photo credit: Florah Koech | Nation Media Group
“Here, everyone is welcome. Drinkers, smokers, drug users. No one judges your past. We come to worship and learn God’s ways. Jesus came for people like us. Even if you smoke during service, you are still welcome,” he says.
“Many of us have even reduced our drinking. We are not in the dens anymore. During the week, we work at the pastor’s farm and the church site and get paid.”
For Rev Bomet and his flock, the message is simple but powerful: there is room in God’s house for everyone, no matter how broken they may seem.
