BURUBURU, Kenya – Gen Z protesters descended on Redeemed Gospel Church Buruburu in Nairobi on Sunday, October 4, demanding justice for Jahenda after a viral video showing her being bullied and harassed triggered widespread outrage across Kenya.
The demonstrators chanted Jahenda’s name as they gathered at the church, turning the controversy from an online campaign into a physical protest.
The demonstration followed the circulation of footage appearing to show Jahenda being cornered and harassed by several young women inside the washrooms of an entertainment venue. The video showed one woman pushing and restraining her while another recorded the confrontation.
The circumstances surrounding the incident before and after the footage remain unclear, but the video triggered widespread condemnation and calls for accountability.
The Buruburu church became a focus of the protests after the Redeemed Gospel Church confirmed that one of the young women linked to the incident fellowships at the congregation.
In a statement issued on Saturday, October 3, the church said it was “deeply saddened and disturbed” by what had been portrayed in the video.
The church condemned bullying, humiliation, intimidation, harassment and violence, stressing that membership could not shield an individual from responsibility.
“While an individual’s actions cannot be attributed to or presented as the position of the church, neither can a person’s association with the church be used to excuse, minimise or shield them from accountability for their own conduct,” the church said.
The church’s acknowledgement of the congregant’s connection fuelled further discussion online, with social media users also claiming that one of the alleged perpetrators was the daughter of a pastor at the Buruburu congregation.
That claim became one of the reasons protesters directed their anger toward the church.
However, the claim that the alleged bully was Pastor Felix Kavoi’s daughter was not true, according to the pastor himself.
Pastor Felix Kavoi addressed the issue during Sunday services as protesters gathered at the church.
Kavoi rejected claims that he had a daughter studying at Riara University and said social media users had wrongly connected him to the incident.
“I don’t have any daughter at Riara University. Tell social media they are wrong and they are coming to the wrong place. My daughters are grownups and they are working. Their names are known,” Kavoi said.
He also questioned why the church had become the focus of a confrontation that happened elsewhere.
“It doesn’t concern Reverend Kavoli. It happened out there. Why is the devil against the church?” he said.
What began as a demonstration demanding accountability later escalated as police moved in to control the crowd.
Police used tear gas and fired into the air as they dispersed protesters and attempted to allow worshippers to leave the church safely. Protesters scattered before regrouping in the area.
The church maintained that it did not oppose the demand for justice but objected to protesters directing the demonstration at its premises.
The university condemned violence, intimidation, bullying and harassment and said it would cooperate with investigative authorities.
