Nairobi News

After a 15-year secular music career, singer Gachathi wa Thuo has declared that he has been born again and has dedicated his life to serving God in the Christian faith.

He has gone on to announce that he has begun his journey to become a bishop who will hold high-profile crusades while worshipping with Life Church International based in Kenol town, Murang’a County.

Gachathi  said happiness without a direct relationship with the almighty God comes with hollowness… an emptiness that cannot be defined and can only be filled by acknowledging and declaring that there is a God in heaven to be worshipped and preached about.

“It was a vow I had made to myself while growing up in abject poverty in my home village of Mabanda in Gatanga Constituency, Murang’a County. I had told God that if one day He blessed me with a breakthrough, I would dedicate my life to serving Him. That blessing has since visited my life,” he said.

Gachathi says his life so far, even with his limited education, has been a chronology of miracles, “where as the eighth born in a family of 11, I ended up becoming the family icon of hope”.

He says God has blessed him from a Sh100 per night gig in back street pubs to a rate card of over Sh150,000 per night “but I am now giving up that pay for God”.

With over 90 singles in the market, Gachathi considers himself a success and a star “who has seen money, fame and favour all rolled into one, but my promise to God stood”.

Gachathi says he has had his Damascus moment in life and will not miss out on salvation, describing the secular world as a generational tragedy.

Asked if he would like to see a world without secular music, he says he cannot judge.

“It is an individual vocation. Some are called to serve humanity in different ways. These are matters of faith. If you feel you are serving a cause in secular music, then stick to it. For me, individually, I feel I have outlived my service in secular ministry,” he said.

He said the secular sector had reached a point where it was not giving him happiness “even though the market is accepting my releases and making them hits and the industry is accepting me and giving me money”.

Known for his captivating husky voice, his popular songs include Karori, Athoni, Mekuiganira Mbahaca, Peris, Wanjiru kumane, Mwari wa maitu, Ngima ya Ngui, Kageci, Kibage Mukurinu, Nairobi Mitigire, Njokeria higo yakwa and many others.

Gachathi ventured into political promotional songs in 2017, where he aligned himself with the Jubilee Party “and money burst the seams of my bank accounts, but I never found the completeness I now feel after declaring Jesus as my personal saviour”.

He says 2024 is the year the Lord has chosen for him “and to all my fans, goodbye, if you do not follow me in Christ, you are now on your own”.

Gachathi adds, “If you loved the musical inspiration in my songs, then keep tuned to this space because I will soon unleash gospel hits that will seek to win many to the side of God, give you hope and be your intercessor in moments of darkness”.

He said he would not be entering a bar to hold a show anytime soon “unless God sends me there for another mission”.

Gachathi said he would not stop other secular musicians from singing his songs in bars “as long as we have a copyright usage agreement”.