Malindi JCC pastors hold prayers at Summertides venue, rebuke attendees and planners of future editions
By Steve Ireri, July 12, 2026A section of pastors from Jesus Celebration Centre (JCC) Malindi on Saturday, July 11, 2026, gathered at the beach where this year’s Summertides Festival was held and conducted a lengthy prayer session, during which they condemned the event and issued a series of strong declarations against its organisers, financiers and those who attended.
The prayer meeting, led by the church’s senior pastor, Bishop Thomas Kakala, saw the clergy describe the festival as spiritually destructive, with several pastors praying against what they termed sexual immorality and demonic influences that they claimed had been introduced into the coastal town during the three-day event.
Addressing the congregation at the beach, Bishop Kakala prayed that anyone who attempts to organise a similar festival in Malindi in future would face divine consequences.
“Whoever will bring Summertides or a festival like this one here, may they be cursed before God. All those who will finance this kind of festival, may all their riches be cursed before God,” he declared.
The bishop did not stop there, extending his prayers to those he accused of misleading young people into attending the event.
“All who will be involved in these wicked things, we rebuke them. All who will rally youths to bring them here and mislead them may they be cursed,” he prayed.
He also took issue with people who distributed condoms during the festival.
“All who took condoms and other things and went to bless them may they be cursed in Jesus’ name,” he said.
As he and fellow pastors each held handfuls of sand before dropping them onto the beach, Bishop Kakala declared that the symbolic act represented the destruction of every evil influence they believed had been established at the venue.
“All evil that happened here, now as we drop this sand in our hands, we break all powers,” he proclaimed.
Pastor Chris also prayed against what he termed spiritual altars erected during the festival.
“Lord, today we stand in this place to dethrone every force of darkness. Every evil altar that had been erected on this particular beach, we pull down in the name of Jesus. We dismantle powers of evil and declare that Malindi belongs to you,” he prayed.
Pastor Dan described the events witnessed during Summertides as comparable to Sodom and Gomorrah, asking God to forgive the town.
“We know that what happened in Malindi was like Sodom and Gomorrah. Almighty Father, we come and repent. Forgive us all the sexual immorality that happened here in Malindi. We ask that you have mercy upon us and let the spirit of sexual immorality die in Jesus’ name,” he said.
Pastor Nzola directed his prayers toward the young people who attended the festival as well as its organisers.
“We call upon all the youths who were involved in this festival and the owners and planners of the event. From today we declare that there will be no Summertides in Malindi. We declare restoration over Malindi and break every demonic tie that was established here,” he prayed.
Pastor Sach also prayed for what he described as the economic and spiritual restoration of the coastal town.
“We pray that whatever the enemy had stolen, whatever agreements and covenants he had entered into with wicked men and women, they shall not prevail over this land. Let businesses in this town be controlled by the righteous,” he said.
The festival transformed the coastal town into one of the country’s busiest entertainment destinations, with hotels and Airbnbs recording full occupancy while airlines introduced extra flights to meet the surge in demand.
However, despite the economic boost to tourism and local businesses, the event also attracted widespread criticism after videos circulating online showed heavy partying, alcohol consumption and other scenes that sparked a national debate on morality.