Even as the death toll from controversial preacher Paul Mackenzie’s cult increases, his family has spoken out in his defense.
In an exclusive interview with Citizen TV, his younger brother, Robert Mackenzie, claims that Paul quit preaching in 2019 and started farming, therefore he is not to blame for the fatalities in Shakahola.
Before answering his spiritual calling, he worked as a taxi driver in Malindi for a couple of years, Robert recalled.
Pastor Mackenzie is ‘innocent’
He continued by saying that once his brother got the preaching bug, Paul tried his hand at ministering in other churches in Malindi, but disagreements with the founders of the churches proved to be too much, and he was expelled from three of them.
SEE ALSO: Kithure Kindiki Reveals Possible Charges Mackenzie Will Face In Court
Paul established the Good News International (GNI) church shortly after.
The older Mackenzie’s ministry at GNI quickly increased in size and generated controversy thanks to his teachings, which exhorted followers to forego contemporary education and pursuits of health, among other things.
According to his family, following those beliefs was never required.
“My children go to school and they go to hospital and Mackenzie has never forced me to have them do otherwise,” said Robert.
“If you don’t take your children to school then that’s on you and not Mackenzie.”
Pastor Mackenzie quit church in 2019
The family denies that Mackenzie fled his Malindi-based church to settle in Shakahola forest, instead noting that he told them that his God-ordained mission had ended in 2019, and that he was settling down to farm in the fields that have turned into the theatre of tragedy.
Despite the overwhelming number of bodies recovered from the fields in the last few days, the pastor’s family is convinced that their brother is the target of malice.
They say Paul was a model child growing up, kind to a fault and incapable of the crimes he is now accused of.
“I don’t agree with the accusations. I know my brother well; there’s no way he would kill and bury a person,” said Robert.
“He is a terrorist”: President Ruto reacts to Pastor Mackenzie church ‘massacre’
President William Ruto has spoken out about the Shakahola massacre, claiming that those responsible should be put behind bars.
Ruto said in a statement on Monday that those who pose as religious while engaging in behavior that is against their religion’s teachings and core principles would be prosecuted.
According to him, the divisive preacher who is the subject of the Shakahola massacre is a criminal and should be imprisoned.
“What we are seeing in Kilifi, Shakahola is a kin to terrorism. There is no difference between Mr Mackenzie who pretends and postures as a pastor when in fact he is a terrible criminal.
“Terrorist use religion to advance their heinous acts. People like Mackenzie are using religion to do the same thing…
Let me say for the avoidance of doubt that people like Mackenzie and all other terrorists and criminals do not belong to any religion, they belong to jail and that is where they should be,” he said
The activities of religious groups or individuals who wish to use religion to advance objectionable ideologies in the Republic of Kenya, according to Ruto, are leading to needless loss of life and he has ordered the agencies to investigate the situation and find the source of the problem.
READ ALSO: Drama as rescued pastor Paul Mackenzie’s follower refuses to eat, wants to die to meet Jesus
He maintained that anybody responsible for any religious group’s preaching that goes against the principles of the constitution should be brought to justice.
The president continued by saying that such institutions had to be shut down since they go against the interests of Kenyans as a whole.
On Thursday, 11 of Mackenzie’s followers were rescued with three in critical condition at Malindi subcounty hospital.
Mackenzie purportedly told his followers that since there was a drought, they would hasten their journey to heaven by starving themselves to death.
The pastor and his followers appeared before Malindi chief magistrate Elizabeth Usui but were not charged as police asked for 30 days to hold suspects to complete investigations.
The magistrate revoked the Sh10,000 bond and ordered Mackenzie and the others to be held for 14 days to allow police to conduct further investigations.
SEE ALSO: The sad story of Air hostess who quit 11-year career, sold land to join pastor Mackenzie’s church
Usui said she revoked the bond issued last month because Mackenzie has been going on with his alleged cultic activities despite orders requiring him to desist.
