Saved, divorced preachers: When holy matrimony turns ugly

Heartbreak is not strange to Kenya’s celebrated women of God. Some have been married, only for the unions that God put together to fall asunder spectacularly. Others unravelled even before the “lovebirds” got to the altar.  And yes, some of the breakups were so ugly that the devil himself would have denied being involved.

Margaret Wanjiru and Jimmy Kamangu

Remember the mega hype surrounding the Jesus Is Alive Ministries evangelist Margaret Wanjiru and her South African lover - Reverent Samuel Matjeke - after the two declared they were going to walk down the aisle in 2006?

The beautiful Wanjiru was single and a mother of grown children. Kenyans were wondering whether she would relocate to South Africa, or proclaim “The Glory is Here”and parachute her man into Nairobi for keeps when the High Court halted the wedding following an injunction by her Jimmy Kamangu, who claimed he was her husband.

Kamangu claimed that their marriage had not been terminated, reason he was barring the much publicised wedding. It was a circus. Wanjiru called the father of her children a deadbeat and drunkard who had mistreated her. Her children disowned their father. And stung, Kamangu’s sisters waded in, and threatened to say very nasty things about the Bishop if she continued badmouthing their brother. The heat was too much. The wedding was called off and Matjeke quietly flew out of the county.

Keen observers winked, and whispered that Kamangu had been dragged out of the woodwork by a political rival to put Wanjiru in her place. In an interview with our sister paper, The Standard, six years ago, the preacher cum politician said even though she had called off her engagement to Matjeke, she was still optimistic that ‘Mr Right’ would show up one day.

“Why not? When Mr Right shows up, I will get married. When God sends a man my way, I will. But I have to check his background and especially his relationship with God, and of course his age as I have sons, daughters and four grandchildren. The man must command respect from my children and their families,” she said.

But the Good Lord, perhaps still smarting from the Matjeke circus, is, unfortunately,  yet to send a second Mr Right her way.

Gloria Muliro and Pastor Eric Omba

There is also the nasty break up between celebrated gospel singer Gloria Muliro and Pastor Eric Omba that left tongues wagging about six years ago. The breakup came shortly after their colourful wedding at a Nairobi church. Gloria was the first to break the news, describing how their marriage had been rocked by marital distrust and alleging that her spouse had been cheating on her. Pastor Omba denied the allegation, but it was over.

It did not all end in gloom. About three months ago, Gloria walked down the aisle with yet another man of the cloth, American based preacher Evans Sabwami. Since April this year, the two had engaged family members in preparations for the big day held in the United States where the two have now settled.

Sabwami is an American citizen of Kenyan origin. He is a pastor, an engineer, and graphics artiste.   “We honestly did not plan to announce our big day to the public. The agreement was that we would have a low-key wedding ceremony. The guests had been informed of that. But after somebody posted some photos, we felt obligated to announce this to the world,” Gloria told this writer during an exclusive interview.

Betty Bayo and city preacher, Victor Kanyari

Another ‘saved’ Kenyan couple who went turmoil was gospel singer Betty Bayo and city preacher, Victor Kanyari. They parted ways after it was alleged that the popular preacher was faking miracles in his church. They have two children.

Grapevine now has had it that Betty is engaged to another man. Kanyari didn’t respond to the news with grace, scoffing that he was shocked to learn that his ex-wife was dating a divorcee.

“I thought she was going to marry ‘Jesus’ after all the hateful things she said about me,” Kanyari said in an interview.

“He is a man who left his family, a wife and two children somewhere. She did not look for Jesus; tell her to marry a holier ‘Jesus’ kind of a man so she can surprise us, not a man who has been used somewhere,” he retorted.

And in 2016, celebrated gospel singer Eunice Njeri separated from her newlywed husband Issac Bukasa aka Izzo barely 24 hours after their wedding in Texas, US. The two had announced their engagement through Instagram two months before the wedding in the States, where Izzo lives. There was no ‘happily thereafter’ with Njeri explaining that her heart was in Kenya, not in the US.

“I wasn’t going with my heart at the time. I was very sick, too. I had fibroids. Bleeding a lot and, at the same time, I thought I should get married. I was like, maybe, I should do this, why am I saying no? I have been saying no for 20 years, maybe, it’s time to say yes,” Njeri said during a TV interview.

Robert Burale and Rozinah Mwakideu

Preacher and motivational speaker Robert Burare has publicly discussed his divorce with his wife citing communication breakdown and not spending enough time together as a part of the reasons that got the couple parting ways.

His former wife Rozinah Mwakideu accused him of cheating, something he refuted. He has announced that he would like to remarry, eight years on.