A family on Thursday, October 24 cried out to Interior Cabinet Secretary Fred Matiang'i to help get back four lost children.
Benson Mutimba, 42, and his wife, Esther Shiwatso, disclosed that their children went missing from home on October 5, K24 Digital reported.
Mutimba and his wife later learnt that their sons were in the custody of a Malindi-based preacher, Paul Mackenzie who had allegedly abducted them.
Their eldest son Felix Ndeta, 23, was the first of the four to be brainwashed after he stumbled upon Mackenzie’s programme on TV.
“Ndeta thereafter, introduced his younger siblings Brian Mutimba and Ian Mukhungu, who are 13-year-old twins , and the youngest child, Victor Malechi aged 10, to the cult,” stated Mutimba who is a blacksmith.
The parents also claimed their sons were convinced that education was evil and that the world would end in 2024.
“Felix even set ablaze all his education certificates, saying pastor Mackenzie had convinced him that they were all useless,” stated his troubled mother.
The children's father also told K24 Digital that Felix and his brothers left a note saying it was unfortunate that they had been denied the opportunity to join pastor Mackenzie’s movement.
Mumias East OCPD, Owuor Katany, also confirmed that Mutimba had reported to him about his missing sons and was working towards tracking the pastor down.
“After thorough investigations, we discovered that the children joined pastor Mackenzie of New Good International Church in Malindi,” affirmed Katany.
Quoting unnamed sources, K24 Digital confirmed that the man of the cloth has faced at least 12 child-radicalisation lawsuits and is currently out on Ksh1 million bond.
The Standard reported that on April 4, 2019, the cleric was charged in Malindi Township, after he was found in possession of cinematographic films intended to incite children against attending school.
Further, the court heard, the films incited Christians against Hinduism, Buddhism, and Islam.