Born Peterson Githinji, Pitson shot to fame in 2014 with his hit single Lingala Ya Yesu, an instantly recognisable gospel anthem that made him one of Kenya’s most famous gospel artists.
However, after the song's massive success, his music career gradually lost momentum and he faded from the limelight.
Pitson, the son of a pastor who is now a pastor himself and still a gospel singer, has some confessions to make. He reveals how the trappings of fame nearly cost him his marriage.
I had my breakthrough in the music industry in 2012 with the release of Wanajua, Ni Kulenga Tu, followed later by Lingala Ya Yesu . Otherwise, I had been releasing music since 2004 without much success.
Gospel Artists Pitson performs at Citam Karen Church on August 16 2019.
Photo credit: File | Nation
I got into music, then got married at 27. At the time, I lacked mentorship, and I made many mistakes, including mistreating my wife. By this, I don't mean physically assaulting her, but rather failing to create a good environment for her in our marriage.
Did you know that mistreating your wife can prevent your prayers from being heard by God? The scriptures in 1 Peter 3:7 say so.
“Husbands be considerate as you live with your wives ad treat them with respect as the weaker partner and as heirs with you of the gracious gift of life so nothing will hinder your prayers.”
Marriage is a good thing; it comes with its blessings. I struggled to make a breakthrough in my music career for nine years, but when I got married in 2013, my music career took off.
However, I agree with the Apostle Paul's teaching that marriage isn't for everyone. If you can't handle it, that's fine. However, if you cannot exercise self-control, then you should marry.
From my own experience, I have learned that money can change people, especially men. It can turn good men into strangers, even to the people they love the most. For years, I tried to be a good husband. But when the money started coming in, I slowly lost sight of that and began to change without even noticing.
Gospel Artists Pitson performs at Citam Karen Church on August 16 2019
Photo credit: File | Nation
I grew up in Eastleigh in a modest family. Then came fame, and with it, money. That’s when my troubles began. Fame changes you, even without your realising it. Society starts expecting more from you and you begin to buckle under the pressure.
Suddenly, I could no longer hang out in the same places. I felt that I had to play in a different league. I stopped taking public transport and started hiring cars so that no one would see me, as there were no Ubers back then.
Eventually, I bought my own car and, soon after, moved to a more expensive neighbourhood. I moved from Kinoo to Ruaka, where very classy and expensive apartments were being built.
So now, here I was, paying three times the rent I had been paying in Kinoo. The truth is, the move wasn't necessarily necessary at that point.
At the time, I didn’t think much of it. I was earning money, and that seemed enough. But later in life, I realised that I wasn’t really living. I was living the life that society expected of me. Now, whenever I talk to young people, I tell them to live their own life. Don’t let society dictate who you should be.
Singer Pitson: I quit my bank job for music
The funny thing is that I used to work in a bank as a sales agent and would often see people wasting their lives. Take pilots, for example: someone would get the job today, and within six months they’d apply for a multimillion-shilling loan just to upgrade their lifestyle to match what society expected of them. At the time, I never realised that I was in the same boat, chasing appearances and wasting my own life without even noticing.
Gospel artiste Peterson Ngetha, alias Pitson Performing at the Totally Sold Out (TSO) Concert, KICC to usher in new year on Saturday, December 31, 2022.
Photo credit: File | Nation
What I wish I had known is that fame and money require a lot of wisdom to manage. Following the success of Lingala ya Yesu, I began earning the kind of money I had never earned before in a short period of time. A 15 minute show had be paid between Sh300,000 and Sh500,000.
With the money and huge fan base that the song had cultivated, I felt that I had some sense of power. I became very arrogant towards my wife, and that kept getting worse.
The worst thing that happened in my marriage was my wife packing up and leaving our home. I had to ask my parents to help me bring her back home, which was the lowest point in my life. Can you imagine being asked unsettling questions about your behaviour towards your wife by her parents in front of your own father? It really made me refocus.
It took a lot of convincing and many days to get her to come back. I had mistreated her so much that she had every reason not to come back. But she finally came back and never left, and I never want her to leave.
However, as the scriptures say, God will not hear the prayers of those who dishonour their wives. The streams that had been generating me all this huge amount of money dried up.
