President William Ruto has finally broken his silence on controversial Pastor Paul Mackenzie’s cult-like church that has left many Kenyans dead in Shakahola village, Kilifi County.
39 bodies have so far been exhumed and several other Kenyans rescued after they followed the pastor’s advice of fasting until they die with hopes of meeting their creator.
As at Sunday evening, the number of those dead from fasting had hit 47 as 8 bodies had earlier been found before being buried. The number is expected to go up since there are still many other graves that have not been dug up.
The head of state who was speaking on Monday during the prison officers’ cadet pass-out parade in Kiambu County termed the controversial pastor as a terrorist who does not belong to any religion.
According to President Ruto, Pastor Mackenzie, just like any other terrorist, belongs to prison.
“People like Paul Mackenzie of the Shakahola cult and any other terrorists, do not belong to any religion. They belong in prison,” said President Ruto.
President Ruto’s statement comes just a day after Interior Cabinet Secretary Prof Kithure Kindiki condemned the killing of at least 39 people in a shocking religious cult ran by Mackenzie.
In a statement on Sunday, April 23, CS Kindiki termed the deaths as an abuse of freedom of worship and called for tougher measures to regulate religious activities in the country going forward, including self-regulation of the organisations.
According to Kindiki, punishing persons linked to the cult that forces their followers to fast to death is not enough.
He promised to visit the area on Tuesday even as he directed reinforcement of security in the 800-acre forest that has now been declared a crime scene.