Controversial preacher Paul Mackenzie has publicly denied having any links to a newly discovered cult in Kilifi County, where police recently found human remains and rescued suspected victims of radicalisation.
Through his lawyer, Wycliffe Makasembo, Mackenzie distanced himself from the grim developments in Binzaro village. The embattled pastor, already facing trial over the infamous Shakahola massacre, said he has no connection to the fresh case of religious extremism that has rocked the coastal region.
Earlier this week, authorities arrested three individuals and rescued three others from the scene. In a chilling turn, police also discovered two human skulls and a body buried within the area.
Investigators hinted at Mackenzie’s possible involvement after reports emerged that one of the suspects belonged to his church. However, Mackenzie’s lawyer has pushed back against the allegations, urging the public not to jump to conclusions.
“Some claims suggest that one of the arrested individuals might have been a follower of Mackenzie, but these are still under investigation. We can’t confirm anything at this point,” Makasembo clarified.
He also pointed out that the latest cult discovery happened far from Mackenzie’s former base of operations, arguing that the distance further casts doubt on any direct connection.
“From what we know, this incident occurred in an area quite removed from where Mackenzie was living, so linking him to it at this point is purely speculative,” he added.
These new allegations come while Mackenzie is already at the center of one of Kenya’s most disturbing criminal cases.
The preacher is accused of orchestrating the deaths of at least 191 people between January 2021 and September 2023 in Shakahola Forest, where followers were reportedly ordered to starve themselves to death in a bid to “meet Jesus” before the apocalypse.
What began as a troubling report quickly escalated into a full-blown national tragedy when police, guided by human rights groups and local journalists, unearthed shallow graves and rescued skeletal survivors from the forest in early 2023.
Among the dead were at least 11 identified children, 82 unidentified boys, 72 unidentified girls, and 26 minors whose gender could not be determined. While many died from starvation, autopsy results revealed other causes including strangulation, blunt force trauma, and suffocation, suggesting that not all deaths were voluntary or peaceful.
The situation has continued to unfold grimly. By June 12, 2024, the number of bodies exhumed had reached a staggering 448 — most of them children. The Kenya Red Cross has reported over 600 individuals still missing, pointing to the likelihood that more victims remain undiscovered.
Mackenzie and over 30 co-accused individuals are currently facing an array of serious charges, including murder, manslaughter, child torture, radicalisation, terrorism, and involvement in organised criminal activity. The group appeared before the High Court in Mombasa in February 2024 as part of the ongoing legal proceedings.
Despite the mounting evidence and widespread public outrage, Mackenzie continues to maintain his innocence in both the Shakahola and Binzaro cult cases, claiming that he is a misunderstood man of faith — not the mastermind behind one of Kenya’s darkest cult tragedies.
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