Makena Njeri reveals why she stopped going to church after coming out as gay

By , K24 Digital
On Sun, 1 May, 2022 11:48 | 2 mins read
Makena Njeri refutes name-changing chatter
Former BBC Journalist Makena Njeri PHOTO/courtesy.

Former media personality and the CEO of the Bold Network Africa Makena Njeri has revealed that she stopped going to church after she disclosed that she was a lesbian.

Speaking during an interview with Sauti Sol's lead singer Bien Baraza, Makena stated that felt judged and unwanted by members of a church that she frequented.

"I have said this so many times. I am a Christian I love going to church, but I stopped going to church when I came out as gay. Immediately I walked into the church I no longer felt safe anymore. Because from the priest, the women, the choir, the people seated next to me, were like what are you doing in the church and we watched your Ted Talk two days ago?" she said.

Makena Njeri
Makena Njeri and her ex-lover Michelle Ntalami. PHOTO/Instragam

Makena further stated that she no longer felt that the place of worship was a safe haven for her. She claims that even though the church should be a place where people seek protection, she stopped feeling safe in her former church.

Makena reveals she's lesbian

Former British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC) journalist Chris Makena admitted that she is a lesbian on May 19, 2021.

Makena made the announcement while speaking as a guest on the TEDx Talks channel.

“For three months, I was down and had bouts of depression. But once again, I reminded myself that I had to choose to be bold. This whole experience made some of my family members and friends become strangers,” Makena said.

She was referring to an incident in July 2019 when she was a viral topic of discourse on social media after her partner went mad following a disagreement and vandalized her car.

“I remember that cold morning of July in 2019 when I woke up and looked at my phone. I’d over 1,000 messages, and 500 missed calls. My blood went cold. I knew something was wrong,” Makena recalled.

The actress went ahead and recollected the moments of introspection she had before she finally accepted who she was. 

“I remember for the first time in my life after very many years, I looked in a mirror and said to myself, ‘I am gay, I am unique, and this is my truth,” she said.

Makena also confirmed that she is a member of the Lesbian, Gay, and Transgender (LGBTIQ) community adding that she was finally free.

“This was a victory for me, but what I didn’t know was just this was the beginning of my journey to boldness,” Makena said.

A film and TV producer, Makena said that she has been ridiculed for picking up jobs meant for men yet she is a woman.