Kenyan Pastor Paul Mackenzie has been linked to a horrific case of mass murder, as authorities have discovered numerous bodies on his expansive land in Shakahola village. As of Tuesday evening, 90 bodies had been exhumed from the Shakahola forest, including those who died after a police raid.
The circumstances surrounding the deaths remain shrouded in mystery, and Mackenzie’s demands of his followers have raised concerns. He reportedly asked his followers to stop their children from attending school, burn all school certificates, not shave, not seek medical treatment, live within his land, and fast to death in the belief that it was the only way to see God.
The majority of the victims of what has been dubbed the “Shakahola Forest Massacre” are believed to be children. The discovery of mass graves has shocked Kenyans, and there are fears that more corpses could be found as search teams continue their work. In response, the Kenyan government has vowed to crack down on fringe religious outfits in the largely Christian country.
Mackenzie, who was a taxi driver in Malindi before receiving his calling, is at the heart of a religious cult probe. The Directorate of Criminal Investigations (DCI) detectives have been camping at his expansive land, where they have so far exhumed 90 bodies presumed to be of his followers.The discovery of Mackenzie’s demands and the mass graves have brought global attention to the situation, with many people expressing their shock and horror.
Fact Check: The Viral Photo of Pastor Paul Mackenzie and Rachel Ruto Amidst Massacre Probe.
Some have also shared a photo on social media purporting to show Mackenzie attending an event with First Lady Rachel Ruto, but this has been debunked as fake.
A post shared by the Movement for Defence of Democracy (MDD), a lobby group allied with the opposition, claimed Mackenzie has been enjoying ‘brown envelopes’ from the State House. The group accused President William Ruto of being a hypocrite after the latter condemned the preacher, likening him to a terrorist.
The image was first shared on social media on January 22 by Rachel Ruto after attending a service at Word of Faith Church Olalui in Kilgoris, Narok County. In the image, there is a man donning blue pants and a short-sleeved shirt. However, in the trending image, the man’s face was edited and Mackenzie’s facial overlayed on it.
In response to the situation, the Director of Public Prosecutions, Noordin Haji, has said that his office will conduct investigations with possible charges of terrorism and religious radicalisation. Mackenzie is being investigated for influencing his followers to starve to death, and 14 other suspects are in police custody.
The circumstances surrounding the mass murder of Mackenzie’s followers remain shrouded in mystery. However, it is clear that Mackenzie’s demands and actions have raised serious concerns about religious cults in Kenya.
The discovery of mass graves has shocked Kenyans and brought global attention to the situation. The Kenyan government has vowed to crack down on fringe religious outfits, and investigations are ongoing with possible charges of terrorism and religious radicalisation.
Mboma Mboma