Meet the rapping priest of Migori, he will save your soul

St Monica Parish's Father Paul 'Swit' Ogalo during a rap session in church
St Monica Parish's Father Paul 'Swit' Ogalo during a rap session in church
An ordained Catholic Church priest who uses rap to preach to youths has become a sensation at Rapogi Parish in Uriri constituency, Migori county. Father Paul Ogalo of St Monica Parish treats his congregation to rap sessions.

A video of him clad in priestly robes has been shared by his audiences on social media and gone viral. On Sunday, Ogalo led a special mass at St Monica Rapogi Parish, where he was born and grew up.

“During the 2007 post-election violence, we lost a bright student at Rapogi High School. The death inspired me to start rapping to reach youths with gospel,” he said.

Ogalo said he noticed most churches do not have youth-friendly services to encourage them to remain after mass.
“I picked my stage name as Paul Swit, which stands for Paul Sees World In Turmoil. These rap songs, complete with a stage name, resonate well with youths,” he said.

The Father said most Catholic Church songs are classical and youths have a disconnection with them. Through his songs, he has changed lives by encouraging young people to have practical ways of improving their social and economic status.

Violet Menya, the youth leader at Rapogi Parish, said Ogalo's unique style of preaching has attracted many youths to the church, since he uses the language and techniques modern youth understand best.

Menya said Ogalo has encouraged many youths to embrace the green revolution through tree planting and initiation of projects, which has changed families' economies.