Journalists Barred from Covering Exhumation Exercise at Pastor Mackenzie's Land

Police have barred journalists from covering the ongoing exhumation exercise on land allegedly owned by cult leader Pastor Paul Mackenzie, who brainwashed his followers to fast to death in order to meet God.

Members of the press were on Wednesday blocked from accessing the 800-acre parcel of land that is part of the Shakahola forest in Malindi, Kilifi County.

This came after Interior Cabinet Secretary Kithure Kindiki declared the entire Chakama Ranch where the Shakahola forest is located a disturbed area and an operation zone.

He pointed out that the area is an active security operation zone and no member of the public will be allowed no access to it “except as may be permitted by the operation Commander and/or until these orders are vacated.”

Kindiki further declared a 30-day dusk-to-dawn curfew in the area which will run from 1800hrs in the evening up to and until 0600hrs daily.

To hold any gathering within the 20,418 hectares, one would need to obtain a written order from authorities.

“There shall be no public gatherings, processions or movement either alone or as a group during the period of curfew into and out of Chakama Ranch except as shall be permitted, in writing, by the Kilifi County Police Commander in consultation with the Operation Commander,” he said.

At least 90 bodies of adults and children believed to have died after going for days without food have been exhumed from mass shallow graves on the land.

 “The government admits this should not have happened. We have opened a formal inquiry on another religious organization based in Kilifi County. We are getting leads that perhaps what was being done at Mackenzie’s was just the tip of the iceberg. The net has been cast wider to all other associates and collaborators of Mackenzie’s evil,” Kindiki said when he visited the area on Tuesday.