Paul Mackenzie: Govt Reveals Controversial Pastor Still Directs Followers, Prays On Phone
- Interior CS Kipchumba Murkomen revealed that Paul Mackenzie kept in contact with followers from prison, with one survivor telling detectives the preacher prayed for him
- The government said the continued influence has made it harder to curb religious extremism, as followers view his guidance as spiritual rather than dangerous
- Murkomen explained that stopping such cults is difficult because fasting and prayer appear harmless until they escalate into fatal outcomes
- Authorities are preparing new exhumations in Kwa Binzaro, where many suspected victims, including children, remain unidentified
Didacus Malowa, a journalist at TUKO.co.ke, brings over three years of experience covering politics and current affairs in Kenya.
The government has made startling revelations about jailed televangelist Paul Mackenzie, saying he continues to guide and inspire his followers from behind bars.
Source: Getty Images
Interior Cabinet Secretary Kipchumba Murkomen disclosed that Mackenzie, the man blamed for the deaths of more than 400 people in the Shakahola forest tragedy, has maintained contact with some of his loyalists through phone calls.
How did Mackenzie contact a follower?
Murkomen said the preacher’s ability to spread his extremist teachings, even while in custody, has complicated efforts to contain religious radicalisation along Kenya’s coast.
The CS noted that one of the survivors recently told detectives that Mackenzie had called him from prison and prayed for him over the phone.
"The guy told the DCI this guy, what's his name...eeeh...Mackenzie called him from the cells and prayed for him from the phone, you know. So you can see radicalisation is not like someone has got you and killed you but they're ingraining certain beliefs in people's minds mpaka people are fasting to death," Murkomen revealed during an engagement with journalists.
The survivor had initially escaped the fasting cult in 2022, returning to his home in Busia county.
However, he later sneaked back into Chakama Forest, this time with his family, to resume fasting at Kwa Binzaro village, a stronghold linked to Mackenzie’s group.
Why is govt struggling to deal with religious cults?
Murkomen said the nature of the radicalisation makes it harder for authorities to intervene before tragedy strikes.
He painted a picture of the oddity one has to overcome when stopping someone from going to pray as per their beliefs.
The CS explained that this makes it difficult to combat tragedy before it happens, often claiming multiple lives.
"Fighting religious extremism is never easy. If someone tells you they’ve gone for fasting, how do you object? They’ll say they are going to seek God, like Elijah, or climbing mountains like Moses did on Mount Sinai. By the time you realise what’s really happening, it has already turned into a matter of life and death," he explained.
Why is it difficult to identify Shakahola victims?
Authorities are now preparing to begin another grim exhumation exercise in Kwa Binzaro village.
Many of those believed to be buried in the area are children, while others may have been left in the forest where wild animals could have destroyed the remains.
Source: Twitter
The government said a significant number of victims came from distant counties in Western and Nyanza, which has made the process of identifying bodies through DNA matches more difficult.
"Concluding the matter has been complex but we are about to make a decision as a government to see if we can inter the remaining bodies because lack of any further people who've come out for DNA and maybe just create a memorial centre within the Shakahola itself," the CS added.
Forensic teams remain on the ground at Kwa Binzaro, combing through thickets in search of more human remains.
How did Mackenzie taunt Kenyans?
Elsewhere, Mackenzie, jailed over the tragic deaths of his followers, took a chilling tone during his court appearance, taunting Kenyans with his now-notorious warning.
Smiling and calm in custody, he repeated his cryptic phrase: “Can’t you see it is haunting? That’s the point…” suggesting his earlier statement was proving true.
Kenyans watching the video were unsettled, with one viewer noting, “He’s not even ashamed of himself,” while others lamented the gravity of the evidence against him.
Proofreading by Jackson Otukho, copy editor at TUKO.co.ke.
Source: TUKO.co.ke
