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Kindiki lifts the lid on Shakahola horrors

CS said events will be a turning point in management of country’s security matters

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by Allan Kisia

News27 May 2023 - 02:42
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In Summary


  • Mackenzie’ followers who changed their minds after they started to starve were killed by supervisors.
  • Shanties in Shakahola may have been used for sex orgies involving children.
Interior CS Kithure Kindiki answers questions when he appeared before ad hoc committee investigating the Shakahola massacre at the Senate on May 26, 2023

Interior Cabinet Secretary Kithure Kindiki has lifted the lid on the horrors in Shakahola Forest and promised dire consequences for offenders and officers who slept on the job.

While admitting security agencies are largely to blame for the more than 240 lives lost, Kindiki said the events—as ugly as they may be—will provide a turning point in the management of the country’s security matters.

“No country should go through events like this and remain the same. When the 9/11 attacks happened, the US made changes that left the country never the same again,” the CS told senators.

Kindiki revealed that followers of Pastor Paul Mackenzie who changed their minds after they started to starve were killed by his supervisors.

Mackenzie had hired armed criminals to supervise the followers who were starving.

"In the event somebody would change their mind, they would be hit by a blunt object or strangled to death by the supervisors," he said.

The CS told the Danson Mungatana-led committee most victims died of starvation but a good number died of injuries inflicted on them by blunt objects or lack of oxygen.

He told the members of the Senate Ad hoc Committee on the Proliferation of Religious Organisations, Mackenzie had hired armed criminals to supervise the followers who were starving.

Some 241 bodies have so far been exhumed from shallow graves in the forest since the horrific cultic occurrences came to light on April 14.

Autopsies on the first 112 bodies showed that most of the victims died of starvation.

“On March 20, 2023, at Chakama location, two minors were starved to death and later buried in shallow graves within Mackenzie’s Shakahola farm,” he said. 

Kindiki further revealed that the shanties in Shakahola may have been used for sex orgies involving children.

“We are also investigating sexual exploitation of children who were starving with adults in the shanties,” he said.

The CS further noted some of the victims of "Shakahola massacre" were foreigners from neighbouring countries.

He said preliminary investigations showed some of the victims travelled from neighbouring countries.

"Many of the victims were Kenyans but some were from neighbouring countries," he said.

The CS however failed short of naming the countries where foreign victims came from.

He was quick to point out that locals avoided Pastor Paul Mackenzie's church after learning of his wayward ways.

"At the beginning, most of his followers were locals but after learning of his antics, many of them left," he said.

“He lured followers, mostly non-locals from Western region, through end of time preaching and exploited Covid-19 to reinforce end of world messaging,” he added.

Kindiki further revealed that officers on the ground have since identified 10 mass graves which are unopened.

"Satellite images have showed there are more mass graves which have not been opened. We are sure of 10 mass graves," he said.

Mackenzie has been accused of brainwashing the victims into starving to death on the belief that they would meet Jesus Christ.

The massacre has caused a stir and rekindled the debate on the regulation of religious worship in the country.

President William Ruto has set up a task force to "review the legal and regulatory framework governing religious organisations".

However, the High Court will on Monday next week rule on whether it will stop the judicial commission appointed by Ruto to probe the Shakahola deaths.

Two weeks ago, the High Court certified as urgent the petition filed by the Azimio coalition challenging the appointment of the judicial commission.

Azimio in its court papers argues the move by Ruto is unconstitutional as it amounts to usurpation of powers vested in other state organs by the constitution.

Nominated senator Tabitha Mutinda said the government should consider to use Mackenzie to de-radicalise followers who are keen to starve to death.

“Some of his followers are really determined to starve to death. Why can't we ask Mackenzie to tell his followers not to starve?” she posed.

She further censured the government for delaying to pull down videos of Mackenzie’s church events on social media.

Kindiki however said the government does not need Mackenzie to de-radicalise his followers.

“We do not need any help from Mackenzie. We want God to keep him alive so that he can face justice,” he added.

He said his ministry is working with Communications Authority and Directorate of Criminal Investigations to pull down Mackezie’s posts on social media.

Mungatana welcomed the move by the CS to apologise to Kenyans for not preventing the deaths.

“They received information way back but they never acted. We are satisfied with the direction investigations are now taking,” Mungatana added.

In his presentation, Kindiki said organs of national security failed to prevent the deaths of Mackenzie's followers.

"With the sophistication of our security organs, we should have been able to stop the scale of the offence," he said.

"I tender an unqualified apology to the people of Kenya. The matter started many years ago and it was until now that we detected it," he added.

Kindiki told senators the events at Shakahola will result in the overhaul, rejuvenation and renewal of national security institutions.

"Any officer whose conduct or misconduct caused the country to go through this experience, they should know they have a date with accountability," he vowed.

He said the events at Shakahola should have attracted the curiosity of security agencies.

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