This archive report was first published on 30 July 2019.
On Sunday, July 28, 2019, congregants at Jubilee Christian Church (JCC) in Kenya threw a surprise birthday show for Reverend Kathy Kiuna, marking her special day.
The churchgoers welcomed Rev Kiuna to the service with placards bearing heartfelt birthday wishes, with some even calling her 'mum' as they hugged and ululated in celebration.
Men and women alike held up placards, with one reading, 'God found the strongest woman and gave her to us for a mum. Happy birthday.' Another placard read, 'In another life, we would still choose you as our mum.'
However, not everyone was impressed by the display of affection. On Twitter, many Kenyans expressed their disapproval, questioning whether the congregants would show similar love and respect to the women in their lives on their birthdays.
Some users even went as far as to call the celebration 'idolatry' and 'brainwashing.'
As one Twitter user, @kingsman_254, put it, 'Somebody's Dad woke up in the morning, went to the shower, wore a nice Suit, only to go and hold these placards? He has never even said these to his biological mother? #brainwashed.'
