Police on Saturday arrested the controversial televangelist Paul Mackenzie for allegedly linking the Huduma Namba to 666, which is associated with the devil.
Reports indicate that Mackenzie was arrested in Malindi for urging the public not to register for the digital listing in a television summon dubbed ‘End Times’.
Detectives and officials from the Kenya Film Classification Board (KFCB) raided his Good News International Church in Malindi and seized cameras, computers and DVDs.
In the recent past, some members of the clergy have suggested that the Huduma Namba has similarities with the mark of the beast that is explained in the Bible.
The pastors referenced the book of Revelation 13:16-18 which reads, "It is also forced all people to receive a mark on their right hands or on their foreheads so that they could not buy or sell unless they had the mark. Let the person who has insight calculate the number of the beast, for it is the number of a man. That number is 666."
On April 2, President Uhuru Kenyatta visibly expressed his astonishment with how the pastors had convolutedly arrived at the facts about the Huduma Namba.
"Mimi nilishangaa juzi, na mimi nawaheshimu (makasisi) haswa nikiwa mkristo, nikiskiamakasisi wengine wakisema, ati hii ni namba ya shetani, (I respect the preachers as a Christian myself but it was surprising to hear some of them claiming that the Huduma Namba is the devil's number)," he began.
"Jameni (Goodness!)," Uhuru exclaimed while clutching his chin in disbelief."Shetani na kujitabulisha inaungania wapi? (What is the connection between the devil and the registration process?) My God," he concluded.
He urged the men of the cloth not to use the privileged position and the respect they command from their followers to mislead them.
Mackenzi will be detained at the Malindi Police Station for 21 days to allow police and film experts complete investigation.
