WHY I NO LONGER GO TO CHURCH.

Over the last ten years, my family members and some close friends have been asking me why I stopped going to church.

My late mum could not understand how this "holy" child of hers fell out with religion.

Lemme take you back to fourteen years ago when I was still a little man, with no love interests and crush. My only friend was a guy called Mike and Man United.

Through this guy, I became an ardent lover of the Mighty Holy Catholic church.

I joined him with some of his cousins to what was called "Dini".

This is where young people are taught all the Catholic hymns and prayers before baptism.

After "suffering" for a whole year, I was baptized in 2010 and I can't describe how I felt when I got the rosary, which would shine in the dark. My mom would say " hao ni malaika wanakulinda". Imagine the agony when it failed to produce the "light'.

I would ask myself why malaika wameamua kuniacha.

After baptism, I became an alter boy. Weuh...sema kujiskia. Every Sunday I was at the alter , sitting next to the priest.

Wearing those robes made me feel like I was an angel.

I never wanted to miss any sermon, and even wanted to be part of it.

During those times, my dad wanted me to become a priest or "father" as others call them and I was very willing. Anyway daddy wherever you are, I'm a father,but a different kind of a father.

I really wanted to be holy but something unexpected happened.

Love happened.

I started my marriage "internship"  or dating and this made my mom to warn me to stay away from the alter since I was ungodly.

Who has never been in love anyway ?

From that moment I listened to the advice and become a common mwananchi in the church. I was even banned from taking the holy communion.

All these things never changed me and I still believed that Catholic church was the best for me until something funny happened.

It was in 2017 when I decided to take my "mpoa" to see the future stage of our imaginary wedding.

The sermon was excellent until the time when we to give our offerings. 

The Priest had changed the ways on how to give  sadaka. The boxes were now being brought to us.

Shetani wewe.....I had nothing in my pocket since I had planned to take nothing to the box.

I could only say "pass" as small kids were looking at me like a statue.  I remember a small girl telling her mother that mama huyu hajalipa mungu.

It' was very embarrassing since my "special one" was there with me.

In my heart I vowed never to go back there again.

My friends started complaining about the rate at which frequent Harambees were being organized in the church.

Projects that needed funding were inflated .

I thought it was because my church priest was greedy and maybe ours was a special case

I asked my nephew on how his journey to sainthood was  and he only told me " buana kanisa ni kama Chama, pesa kila saa".

Greed  from preachers made me to stop going to church but I do pray everyday. These  heavenly beings started chasing earthly possessions with the speed of Usain Bolt chasing the wind.

People have been asking why the church is silent on the ongoing police brutality and the answer is because the church was bought by politicians. Holy alter became a stage for insults.