Why Bishop Kiengei paused Kaluma’s thanksgiving to protest internet disruption at JCM
By Steve Ireri, October 6, 2025The highly awaited Thanksgiving ceremony for popular TikToker Kaluma Boy went on as planned on Sunday, October 5, 2025, drawing a massive crowd of TikTokers, celebrities, and fans who filled Bishop Ben Kiengei’s Jesus Compassion Ministry (JCM) Church in Ruiru.
The event began in grandeur with a red-carpet welcome for Bishop Ben Kiengei, sparking waves of jubilation as attendees waved Kenyan flags, danced, and cheered for the arriving public figures.
The energy was electric, and the atmosphere carried the tone of both celebration and reverence.
Yet amid the excitement, murmurs began to spread through the congregation as many complained about the sudden loss of internet connectivity and electricity around the church, which had also gone out for hours, leaving many in confusion.
As the situation worsened, Bishop Kiengei, who had just taken the podium to address the expectant crowd, was forced to halt the service and confront the matter directly.
He expressed visible concern over the timing of the outage, noting that the network disruption had greatly interfered with the day’s plans, especially since a crucial part of the thanksgiving involved raising money for Kaluma Boy’s family through online contributions.
He addressed the issue firmly, directing his words to the telecommunications company believed to be responsible for the outage.
He described the people gathered at JCM as disciplined, respectful, and focused individuals who had gathered not for mischief but for a noble cause.
“To our network provider, the people who are here at JCM are disciplined and focused individuals,” Bishop Kiengei said.
He appealed to the network provider to restore internet access, saying it was essential for the smooth running of the service and for ensuring that the online community could also participate in supporting the family.
Bishop Kiengei made it clear that the church and the TikTok community were peace-loving citizens who wanted to spread goodwill, and that their intentions were pure and transparent.
He stressed that such disruptions should not be used to frustrate collective efforts of compassion, reminding the audience that they were gathered to give, not to cause unrest.
“Kindly, because we want to raise money for this family right now, let the network be restored so that we can continue supporting them. Now listen, we are peaceful people and we have enough calm among us,” Bishop Kiengei added.