05 March 2024

• The Televangelist, who is a millionaire now, used to sell sun-dried fish at an open-air market back in the day.

New Life Prayer Center and Church founder Pastor Ezekiel Odero, has slammed people who always resort to begging especially with a sense that because one is well off they had things easy or owe you something.

The televangelist, who happens to be among Kenya's top millionaires walked his congregation down memory lane detailing how badly he struggled in his earlier days noting that at times things were so bad he could not even afford a measly 500 shillings note.

Ezekiel made this public during a sermon he was delivering at his New Life Church in Mavueni, Kilifi after a lady in his congregation asked him for money.

Responding to the said lady, the preacher revealed how he and his wife, Pastor Sarah, used to do demanding menial jobs before the fame.

The father of 3 revealed that at some point, he almost lost his wife to a man who tried picking her up while she was selling boiled maize combs with a promise of a better future.

"Pastor Sarah ameuza mahindi boiled na njugu kwa mjengo... Mwanaume akamwambia, 'Wewe, hauna mume wa kukupenda? Ni mwanaume mgani amekuwacha unauza mahindi? Njoo nikuoe nitakuonyesha upendo na nitakupa pesa.' Siku hiyo ndio aliacha kuuza. Hata mimi nilimwambia, usiuze tena ili usichukuliwe," Ezekiel narrated.

Still speaking of their struggles he revealed that his wife has also sold sun-dried fish while he worked in the same open-air market at a different stall.

The man of God recalled how he invested Sh. 500 in his little business but after a while things took a downward turn and he found that he could not sustain his and his wife's business.

"Mimi pia nimeuza Kongowea kwa kibanda, nilianzisha na mia tano. Siku ya mwisho niliuza Sh 16. Mke wangu pia aliuza KSh 16 akaenda kulala," Ezekiel revealed.

He went on to add how when they woke up, his wife asked him to get the new stock to sell, but he had no money after failing to clear the previous day's stock.

Finishing up, he told his congregation to learn to stop asking other people for money and learn how to get out there and make their own money.

Defending his stance, the father of 3 highlighted that his asking people to go out there and work was not out of arrogance it was simply because that is what worked for him.

"Nikikuambia uende ufanye kazi sikuchukii. Nakupa ile njia niliyofuata nikimtegemea Yesu (When I tell you to go and work, I don't hate you. I'm just giving you the metric I followed while relying on Jesus)," said the televangelist.