Where Is She Now: Pastor Behind Viral 'Twa Twa' Phrase

She was speaking at a church service then, describing to her congregants what she does with her husband, Pastor Joseph Munene, anywhere, anytime.

Marvin Chege Marvin Chege
Mar 14, 2023 - 12:01 Updated: Mar 14, 2023 - 12:03
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Where Is She Now: Pastor Behind Viral 'Twa Twa' Phrase
Screengrab of Pastor Sue during a church service in 2019 where she gained fame for viral 'twa twa' phrase. /FILE

Pastor Sue Munene who gained nationwide fame in 2019 for her description of sexual intercourse through the phrase “twa twa”, now wants the Kenya Industrial Property Institute (KIPI) to have it trademarked.

She was speaking at a church service then, describing to her congregants what she does with her husband, Pastor Joseph Munene, anywhere, anytime.

Because she could not describe the act bluntly to her congregants, she opted to demonstrate with 'Twa Twa' to easily explain the act, but little did she know that she would go viral after a video captured her demonstration, which would be shared on social media.

Since then, numerous songs have been done with “twa twa” in their lyrics, after “twa twa” was featured in numerous blog headlines and become part of everyday lingo after the pastor and her husband addressed relationship guidance forums across the world.

Unlike other Kenyans who have trademarked their viral phrases as a means of earning money, Pastor Sue has taken a different approach in encouraging Kenyans to continue using the words to describe sexual activity in a less intrusive way.

“The proposed mark is a symbolic non-linguistic voice tag popularised by (the applicant) commonly denoting relationship intimacy,” she stated in her January 2021 application to KIPI as captured in its February edition of the monthly journal, even though she assured her fans that they don't need to be afraid of using it.

"It’s ownership, not for any other purpose. Not for commercial, not for anything. Do you see the way people say they want to be paid? That is being selfish," she recently told the Nation.

Pastor Sue wants "twa twa" registered as a trademark in one of the 45 classes where trademarks are sought, particularly class 41 which means that, if she is granted the trademark, she will get the right to use them exclusively in activities that are religious or educational.

The class also covers personal training, educational information, plus entertainment and cultural activities.

Anyone who wants to oppose the allocation of the trademark to her has 60 days from the day the notice was published – February 28 – to file the objection with KIPI. For opposition to be accepted, a person should pay Ksh5,000, or $250 for non-locals.

According to Pastor Sue, she and her husband, who minister at the Overcomers Hope Ministry Nairobi, a church they started, had thought about getting the trademark for the phrase as soon as it went viral, but that did not happen since she went abroad and stayed there with Pastor Joseph.

“We wanted to register it in January 2020. Then we went to the US and stayed there for nine months and the matter died,” she added.

She expressed that she is glad to have introduced a terminology that is helping couples break the ice, giving an example of a thankful 65-year-old man she met in Meru the previous week who said he is a regular user of the term when asking for his conjugal rights from his 62-year-old wife.

Pastor Sue also noted that there could be something godly in the way the terminology came to her.

“If I were asked today, ‘What is the meaning of 'twa twa'?’ I would say this is a coded language for God-given sex in marriage,” she went on.

Since gaining fame over the viral phrase, Pastor Sue and Pastor Joseph's couple counselling ministry has expanded greatly. They often get invitations to various churches to talk about marriage and the space of intimacy, as well as invites from corporates and other organisations within and outside Kenya.

“It (the fame) has opened doors for us to be able to minister,” she revealed, thanking her “hero” husband for giving his blessings to the message. 

The two are founders of Global Strong Families, an organisation “whose vision is to build healthy and strong families” as described on their YouTube channel, and aimed at healing ailing marriages globally by addressing the unexplored and often unspoken topic of sex.

“Anywhere I go, they don’t call me Sue. They call me ‘mtu wa twa twa.’ So, it has opened doors.

"I have had platforms to speak the mind of God concerning marriage, relationships, you know, bringing order to the mountain of marriage,” she went on.

Pastor Munene and his wife Susan at Radio Africa Group offices in 2019. /THE STAR

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