Why Makena Njeri stopped going to church after declaring she is gay

01 May 2022

• Makena says she is a Christian, who loves God and going to church but the circumstances made her drift away.

• She expected the church to be a safe space that accommodates anyone but that is not the case in modern days.

Bold Network CEO Makena Njeri stopped going to church just after publicly declaring her sexual orientation in a Ted x talk.

In a conversation with Sauti Sol's Bien, Makena said she realised congregants at a church she was worshiping at started being judgemental towards her.

Makena says she is a Christian, who loves God and going to church but the circumstances made her drift away from attending church services.

"I stopped going to church the moment I came out. Because Immediately I walked into church and I did not feel safe anymore. From the priest to the women, to the choir, the people seated next to me, they were just like, what are you doing in church and we watched your Ted Talk two days ago?" Makena posed.

She added that she expected the church to be a safe space that accommodates anyone but that is not the case in modern days.

“Growing up we were told church is a safe place but it changes immediately you start living your truth. I would comfortably still be going to church if there was no judgement. But religion has been used to weaponize completely."

Since declaring that she is gay, Makena has been at the forefront of fighting for gay rights in the country.

This inspired her to form the Bold Network Africa, a firm that is committed to telling real and inspiring stories of the African queer people.

Makena's Bold Network aims at demystifying stereotypes about queer people and encouraging their acceptance in Kenya and the world.