MPs have put top security chiefs on the spot for alleged negligence over cult activities that have so far claimed more than 90 lives in Shakahola village in Kilifi County. 

The lawmakers said Inspector-General of Police Japhet Koome, Director of Criminal Investigations (DCI) Amin Mohamed and National Intelligence Service (NIS) Director-General Major Gen Philip Kameru should explain to Kenyans how the crimes—believed to have gone on for quite some time—were left undetected for long.

The Kenya Red Cross has indicated that 212 people have been reported as missing and are feared to be victims of the cult that had its followers starve themselves to death “to meet God.”

With the fear that the suspected cult activities begun from as early as 2019, the demand by MPs for top security chiefs to be brought to book over the matter could also suck in former IG Hillary Mutyambai, who served for four years until 2022, and ex-DCI George Kinoti, who also left office last year.

In the adjournment motion sought by Deputy Majority Leader Owen Baya (Kilifi North, UDA), the MPs on Tuesday evening wondered how the entire security apparatus could fail to detect that something unusual was going on in the village involving people from as far as Nyanza and Western regions.

Even as the lawmakers called for regulation of the Church, they pointed an accusing finger on security officers for failing to prevent the deaths of innocent Kenyans under the dubious religious teachings of Good News International Church leader Paul Mackenzie.

The MPs said the cardinal duty of the government and its security apparatus is to protect lives and properties of its citizens and that the deaths in Kilifi pointed to a failed State.  

Up-to-date reports

Kilgoris MP Julius Sunkuli, who served as Kenya’s Internal Security Minister between 1999 and 2002, and before then in the Defence docket during a time the country’s intelligence system was reputed for its up-to-date reports, says the magnitude of the deaths and in such a manner was an unacceptable failure of intelligence.

“In a country that prides itself of having the best intelligence, it is inconceivable that this happened under the watch of this government,” Mr Sunkuli told the House. In 1999, Mr Sunkuli tabled what was a controversial report on devil worshipping and cults in Kenya and which recommended a formation of a special force “to tackle widespread Satanism in schools and colleges.”

The report by the commission, chaired by then Nyeri Archbishop Nicodemus Kirima and composed of clerics and leading legal brains, also included numerous reports of ritual murder, human sacrifice, cannibalism, and feats of magic allegedly done using powers acquired through such acts.

Majority Leader Kimani Ichung’wah (Kikuyu, UDA) criticised security agencies for trading blame instead of finding ways to fix the lapses to prevent a repeat.

“It’s not just Members of Parliament that are pointing fingers at each other but even our security agencies; NIS is pointing fingers at the police, the police are pointing fingers at the judiciary. This does not solve the problem before us,” Mr Ichung’wah said.

“We must also speak to the government of the day, CS. It's okay to visit Shakahola but we want to see maximum deployment including sniffer dogs if we are to save lives,” he added. 

Minority Leader Opiyo Wandayi wondered how a functioning State with its intelligence apparatus intact could be caught unawares and fail to deter deaths of the magnitude witnessed in Kilifi.

“It can never be possible that a functioning State can fail to detect murders of this magnitude. This is an unprecedented failure of the State. Before you run to Shakahola, the IG and CS in charge of internal security must take responsibility and resign,” Mr Wandayi said.

“The police and all security agencies must get their priority right. It cannot be that when it comes to chasing politicians, they are at their best but when it comes to protecting hapless Kenyans, they are nowhere to be seen,” he added.

Mr Baya told MPs to watch out for another pastor with a massive following —Pastor Ezekiel— who is also from Coast region, and whom he charged that warranted proper investigation.

Mr Baya said many lives have been lost through radical religious teachings propagated a Pastor Mackenzie.

“We are entertaining this pastor (Pastor Ezekiel) but one day, we will have another Mackenzie. Today we have children not taken to hospitals, diabetic patients told not to take drugs because they will be prayed for, and we will witness another massacre,” Mr Baya said.

He went on: “There is a need for the government to prescribe laws that regulate operations of the Church in order not to expose believers from these kind of teachings.”

Kilifi Woman Representative Gertrude Mbeyu accused the police of being overzealous when tear-gassing Azimio supporters yet had turned a blind eye to the Kilifi massacre. 

“Where was the government? Where was the intelligence? The government slept on the job. People get killed and buried [and it is now that] they are coming up with the motion,” Ms Mbeyu said.

“Where was DCI as people were dying and even got buried before telling the government? The government abdicated on its duty. There is a need to come up with a law to ensure that no more Kenyans die because of religion.”

Kilifi South MP Ken Chonga blamed the government for its slow response to the incident, claiming Mr Mackenzie could be working with security officials in order to conceal his activities.

“This is a matter that has been there since 2017 and from that time the intelligence agencies had the responsibility of putting a radar on the pastor. In 2019, the same pastor was taken to court and released ... is he working in cohoots with security agencies?” he posed.

“Honestly, from the time the government started hearing about this, it was only yesterday that the President talked about it while the CS took a whole one week to visit the area, is it because the people of Kilifi are not shareholders in this country” he asked.

Seme MP James Nyikal blamed the intelligence agents for what he said was failing to take the matter seriously. He said some of the people who have died had already been reported as missing but no follow up was done.

“How comes in a village in the whole area, this could not be picked by intelligence officers? There is negligence on their part on this matter. As far as 2017, a children’s officer had noticed that children in this church were not being taken to hospitals for treatment but nothing was done,” Dr Nyikal said. 

“If these things could have been scrutinised thoroughly and in detail, we would have stumbled on this thing much earlier,” Dr Nyikal added.

Emuhaya MP Omboko Milemba said the incident now provides an opportunity to formulate laws to regulate the Church.

“This should be a wake up to address the issue of churches that are harmful to our people. Which laws can be put in place to regulate upcoming churches? In 12th Parliament an MP came up with a Bill to regulate the church but MPs shied away from it,” said Mr Milemba.

Rabai MP Anthony Kenga said all pastors need to be vetted and accredited afresh.

However, nominated MP Jackson Kosgei warned against regulating the Church, saying, it might not be a solution and the country may end up overregulating religion.

‘This is what psychologists call psychopathy, it has nothing to do with religion as that is an excuse. No religion teaches murder of people. This is a mental issue that is we rush to regulate our space, soon we will overregulate it,” Mr Kosgei said. By Samwel Owino, NMG