Controversial preacher Paul Mackenzie has distanced himself from alleged involvement in a Kilifi cult that has attracted widespread attention in the Coast region.
Speaking through his lawyer, Wycliffe Makasembo, the preacher, who is currently embroiled in a gripping court case over the Shakahola massacre, denied any involvement in religious radicalisation in Binzaro village, Kilifi County.
This week, three people were arrested, three others rescued, while two human skulls and a body were recovered in the area.
The pastor was linked to the case after one of the arrested individuals was said to be a member of Mackenzie’s church, prompting speculation over the preacher’s possible involvement.
“Claims are emerging that one of those arrested was a believer (of Mackenzie), but for now, those are all matters under investigation. So, for now, I cannot fully ascertain whether one was a member of his (Mackenzie’s) church,” Makasembo stated.
The lawyer also seemingly challenged the legitimacy of the claims, noting that the Binzaro incident had occurred far from where Mackenzie’s church was situated.
“According to the reports we are receiving so far, it seems like this incident happened far from where Mackenzie stayed, so we cannot establish a connection between the two,” he noted.
The latest comes after Mackenzie was believed to have killed 191 people between January 2021 and September 2023 in the Shakahola area, Malindi Sub-County, Kilifi County, through his cult.
The horrifying scale of the massacre began to emerge in March–April 2023, when police, acting on tip-offs, reportedly from local media and human rights activists, discovered shallow graves and emaciated individuals in the forest.
Among the victims were 11 known children, 82 unidentified male children, 72 unidentified female children, and 26 children whose gender is not known.
Investigations and autopsies revealed that the vast majority of victims died from starvation, as they were allegedly instructed by Mackenzie to fast to death "to meet Jesus" before what he preached was the end of the world.
However, autopsies also indicated other causes of death, including strangulation, suffocation, and blunt force trauma, suggesting that not all deaths were voluntary or solely due to starvation.
The death toll has tragically continued to rise with ongoing exhumations. As of June 12, 2024, the official count of bodies recovered stood at 448. A significant number of the deceased were children. The Kenya Red Cross has reported over 600 people missing, indicating that the final count of victims could be even higher.
After the discovery, Mackenzie and 30 others were charged with murder, manslaughter, radicalisation, child torture and cruelty, terrorism, and related charges, as well as engaging in organised criminal activity.
