Bishop Ben Kiengei of JCM Church has publicly apologized to digital content creator Purity Vishieno, widely known as Pritty Vishy, after body-shaming her in a recent show.
The radio presenter admitted on Tuesday, September 3, 2024, that his comments were out of line and asked for Pritty’s forgiveness, extending an invitation for her to join his church.
“Pritty Vishy, I am really sorry and I take this moment to highly apologize for mentioning your name in a show where I went overboard and mentioned you in the wrong way. Get a space in your heart to forgive me for addressing you in the wrong way,” Bishop Ben stated.
He assured that such an incident would not happen again, saying,
“This will never happen in the future, I take it as my mistake. Pole my sister na karibu sana JCM Church, kanisa la watu wote.”
The controversy began after a video from Bishop Ben’s show went viral, where he jokingly compared Pritty Vishy’s appearance to that of his wife, leading to widespread criticism.
Pritty, in an emotional response, revealed that the bishop’s remarks deeply hurt her, especially as someone who has faced body shaming before.
She expressed her disappointment in a video, stating that she had to seek a translator to understand the Kikuyu remarks made about her and her ex, which she found to be demeaning and insulting.
Following the apology, Pritty declined to accept it in its current form, demanding that Bishop Ben issue a public apology in the same manner he made the offensive remarks.
“When you widely opened your mouth to abuse me, did you send your assistant, or did he write the lines for you? If you wanna talk to me, talk to me directly, and before that, I don’t want a written apology. I want a video, the same way you sat down and made that disrespectful video. Do the same on the apology…don’t send people to me,” she responded.
Pritty also hinted at confronting Bishop Ben in person, stating her intent to visit his church on Sunday and challenging him to repeat his comments to her face.
The incident has sparked significant discussion on social media, with many calling for accountability and respect in public discourse.
