City lawyer Wahome Thuku has stepped forward to defend Reverend Lydiah Kahiga following public criticism over her recent sermon advising congregants to tithe 10% of their debts.
In a detailed Facebook post on Wednesday, November 26, 2025, Thuku questioned whether critics had fully understood the spiritual message delivered by the PCEA minister. Kahiga’s sermon, which encouraged believers to calculate their total debts and offer a tenth to God, has sparked debate across social media and among churchgoers.
Thuku argued that the message was being misunderstood by those it was never intended for. “Before you criticise the Rev, ask yourself, when last did you tithe? If you haven’t tithed for a lifetime, then the message was not for you either way,” he wrote.
He further emphasized that divine guidance often defies human logic. “The things that sound crazy, unbelievable and totally unreasonable, that is the voice of God,” Thuku stated, referencing biblical examples such as Abraham leaving his home for an unknown land, Sarah bearing a child at an advanced age, and Moses striking the Red Sea. “That’s God. Totally beating scientific arguments.”
Reverend Kahiga’s advice to tithe from debts, she argued, is a form of faith and sacrifice that can prompt divine intervention. “If you have a debt of 150,000 KSh, give 15,000 KSh as tithe and God will provide,” she told her congregation.
The message has divided public opinion. While some see it as spiritual wisdom, others argue it could exploit believers struggling with financial burdens. Social media debates have questioned whether debts should count as income for tithing purposes.
Wahome Thuku, however, remained firm in his defense, explaining, “What Rev Kahiga simply said was, try God at your lowest moment, with your most wanted yet unavailable resource.” He concluded by reminding Kenyans that God’s ways have always appeared unreasonable to many, stating, “That God is the same today, tomorrow and forever.”
