On Sunday, January 28, the renowned Kenyan musician, Wilson Abubakar Radido, widely known as Willy Paul, made a notable departure from his usual routine by attending a church service for the first time in nearly seven years.
In a statement released on Monday morning, the former gospel singer revealed that he had abstained from attending church services since 2017 due to an unpleasant incident that had occurred in the past.
Willy Paul shared on his Instagram page, “I haven’t been to church since 2017 because the church did something wrong to me.”
Despite his previous reservations, he expressed feeling a sense of relief and comfort after putting aside grievances and participating in a church service in Nairobi on Sunday.
“Yesterday, I attended a church service in Embakasi, and I feel very comforted. It will be a great year because I have started attending church again,” he remarked.
Curiously, alongside his statement, the controversial love song artist posted a photo unrelated to the church—a picture of himself with a woman at what appeared to be an entertainment venue.
Willy Paul’s shift from gospel music to the secular music industry several years ago surprised many Kenyans. In 2021, he opened up about his departure from the gospel music scene, attributing it to unseen forces that worked tirelessly to undermine him, leading to a period of depression and ultimate breakdown.
In a detailed explanation, Willy Paul outlined the reasons behind his decision to leave gospel music, citing hatred from fellow artists and DJs, lack of airplay for his songs due to perceived ungodliness, discrimination, and favoritism.
“I was a big artist, but these wicked people could not see that or chose to ignore the truth! These people broke my heart! They hurt me so much; I was down for about 4 months, crying silently every day, both day and night. It reached a point where I could not bear it anymore… I didn’t have money to pay my bills or even help at home. Can you imagine I had the biggest songs, and these people treated me like that!” lamented Willy Paul.
