Carey Priscilla’s ‘No Prayer, No Lunch’ Office Rule Sparks Debate

Popular Kenyan beauty entrepreneur Carey Priscilla has defended her decision to make Friday devotions mandatory for employees after an anonymous worker raised concerns over the practice.

The employee sent a message to Nairobi Gossip Club, asking the platform to hide their identity while seeking advice on the workplace policy.

According to the employee, staff members who failed to attend the Friday devotion were not provided with lunch that day.

“Our employer is making prayer mandatory at work and has threatened that anyone who doesn’t participate won’t be provided with lunch.”

The employee questioned whether the practice was professional workplace conduct or amounted to workplace toxicity.

Carey Priscilla Responds

Priscilla later addressed the matter in a short Instagram video, saying she was surprised to learn that her employees had raised the issue anonymously.

She acknowledged that Friday devotion is mandatory at her workplace and said employees who do not attend should not expect lunch.

“Friday devotion is mandatory and if you don’t attend, there’s no lunch.”

Priscilla explained that faith plays an important role in the businesses she has founded and that she considers the practice part of the culture of her workplaces.

“For me, that’s non-negotiable because every business that I have founded is a product of faith and I have to keep it as that.”

She also said employees are informed about the workplace culture before joining the company.

“Everyone knows this before they even join the team.”

Priscilla further challenged Nairobi Gossip Club to reveal the employee’s identity, saying she wanted an opportunity to address the concerns directly.

“Nairobi Gossip, so you can unhide the ID so that I can talk to this employee.”

She added jokingly that she could pray for the employee.

“I mean, I can be able to pray for these employees, you know?”

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Entrepreneur Explains Workplace Culture

In a comment on the post, Priscilla compared her workplace culture with practices in businesses owned by people from different religious backgrounds.

She noted that some Muslim-owned organisations make time for prayer, while some businesses associated with Hindu owners may begin the day with prayer or lighting a lamp.

“Workplaces have a culture.”

She said her workplace’s culture happens to include Friday devotion and argued that the practice is not intended to force employees to adopt her beliefs.

“That’s not about forcing beliefs; it’s about being clear on who we are.”

Priscilla maintained that the practice is communicated to employees before they join the organisation.

“It’s also communicated before you join, so you already know the culture from the start!”

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Kenyans Debate Mandatory Prayers

The issue has sparked mixed reactions online, with some social media users questioning whether employers should make religious activities compulsory.

@liz_j.a.ckson argued that employees have a constitutional right to freedom of worship and should be allowed to choose how they practise their faith.

“Everybody is entitled to choose their religion.”

She added that an employee’s religious practices should not affect their job and argued that imposing religious practices could amount to discrimination.

@ily_saige, said workplaces should respect different beliefs, including those of people who are not religious.

“Everyone has a right to their own beliefs.”

She then added that employers should respect religious diversity instead of making prayer a condition for receiving workplace benefits.

@winnie_sunya agreed that religious businesses may have prayer practices but argued that employees should not be forced to participate.

“It should be VOLUNTARY.”

She also described making participation compulsory as unfair labour.

@njambifever-official reacted to the controversy by writing,“We Bana devotion cia Ngoma.”

@mamamuthonike, suggested that the company should instead hold the devotion every morning.

“Friday? switch to every morning devotion. Weed on those demons let them be irritated.”

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Anonymous message sent to Nairobi Gossip by an employee to Beauty Entrepreneur Carey Priscilla
PHOTO/NGC