At the heart of Mitaboni in Machakos County, curious villagers often look forward to attending funerals presided over by Teresia Nthenya, a youthful preacher who has become an online sensation by turning to secular music to win souls.
The 34-year-old pastor, who is in charge of the Kwanzimbi Africa Brotherhood Church (ABC) in Kathiani Sub-county, effortlessly sends her audience rolling with excitement by belting out renditions of popular Kamba benga songs in the middle of her preaching.
A church service presided over by Ms Nthenya can easily be confused with a concert by Ken wa Maria of Yatta Orchestra, Dicky Mulwa of Ngoleni Brothers Band and Joseph Mutaiti of Kalambya Boys Band. Their classic songs feature prominently in her evangelism.
“Secular songs help me to evangelise. Many of them are nuggets of good messages. They make the congregation attentive. As the audience laughs in response to a secular song, I use the opportunity to push a Christian message,” Ms Nthenya told the Nation during an interview at Kalikya Village.
A mother of three, Ms Nthenya grew up in the heart of the neighbouring Makueni County. She developed a taste of Kamba secular music as a young girl. Her father, who brewed and traded in traditional alcohol, owned a gramophone. He organised regular discos which attracted many people to their homestead. To prepare for a sermon, she revisits the secular songs which relate to the message she intends to deliver to the congregation.
Pastor Teresia Nthenya. She has become an online sensation.
Photo credit: Pius Maundu | Nation Media Group
Ms Nthenya says her sermons are inspired by the daily lives in the rural farming community. She uses her position to entrench family values. For example, over the years, she has noted a trend in which some people attend church for advice to rescue their unstable marriages. She uses Ngilesi, a Kamba classic love song by Dicky Mwendwa to validate Ndwae Ngome Mwaitū, a controversial ceremony in which women shower their mothers with gifts to celebrate motherhood.
“Men confide in me a lot. Some complain that their women no longer love them. To address the problem, I make it a subject of my sermons in a way which does not widen the cracks in the affected families. My joy is seeing families stabilizing and many people returning to church after changing their wayward behaviors and affirming their faith in Christianity,” she said.
Although she is not active on social media, amateur video clips of Ms Nthenya singing secular songs while donned in a white headscarf, a pastor’s collar and a cross have taken the internet by storm. They are usually shared by online content creators and their fans.
“She makes us look forward to attending the funerals she presides over,” said Mary Kioko, a resident.
Pastor Teresia Nthenya. She uses secular Kamba songs to evangelise.
Photo credit: Pius Maundu | Nation Media Group
Ms Nthenya’s journey in evangelism has been nothing but smooth. She showed a strong interest in Christianity while in Standard Four, and later attended Bible school. This move disappointed her close relatives who had expected her to become a witch doctor in her adulthood.
“My paternal grandparents were witch doctors. As a young girl, they picked me to run their errands. My grandfather had a hearing problem. I was the go between, often offering interpretation services as he attended to his clients. They expected me to inherit the skills because we were very close. My grandmother discouraged me from attending Sunday school and they were disappointed when I turned out to be a staunch Christian,” she told the Nation.
Ms Nthenya’s preaching has raised eyebrows among some conservative Christians who feel she has crossed the boundaries of evangelism.
“She is accelerating the church’s gravitation towards secularism. This is our fear,” said a pastor who sought anonymity to avoid critisising a fellow church leader in public.
“As preachers we are called to serve everybody. You cannot discriminate against anyone. At the same time, the Bible discourages us from judging others. You cannot discriminate against a secular musician. If a secular musician attends my church, I cannot kick them out or reject their offering,” she said.
Pastor Teresia Nthenya, a youthful preacher who uses secular Kamba songs to evangelise, at Kalikya Village in Machakos County on February 24, 2026.
Photo credit: Pius Maundu | Nation Media Group
“After every preaching session, colleague pastors call to laud her delivery skills. She is a source of honor for our family,” said Lawrence Muange, her father-in-law who is also a senior pastor and a top official of the ABC.
Although Ms Nthenya says she has no role model, citing a rule in the church which bars preachers from imitating others, she draws inspiration from Mr Muange.
“As pastors, we are not supposed to discriminate against anyone. We should reach out to those we assume to be sinners. Jesus came for them. In my ministry, I have formed a habit of reaching out to drunkards in bars for conversations which would ultimately lead to them changing their lifestyles,” Mr Muange told the Nation .
While in Bible school, Mr Muange said, preachers are tasked to go ahead of the other people in many aspects.
“We should, for instance, be conversant with secular songs to remain in sync with the people we are preaching to,” he said while endorsing her daughter-in-law’s preaching.
He added: “By using secular music which is popular with many people, she is cleverly getting close to youthful audiences who have been sidelined. This is worth emulating.”
