File image of Beatrice Elachi
Dagoretti North MP Beatrice Elachi wants family members of controversial pastor Paul Mackenzie, as well as his church supervisors to be arrested.
Speaking on Tuesday April 25 during Citizen TV’s Daybreak show, Elachi claimed that Mackenzie’s close allies encouraged him to commit his criminal acts.
“They should be jailed, him and the wife so that they learn a good lesson. You are part of the participation of ensuring they are fasting they have to, and even the supervisors, all of them must be in,” Elachi said.
The MP said that the victims were readily persuaded to follow pastor Mackenzie’s doctrine because they were poor and desperate.
“We cannot take advantage of poverty to finish our people. You know it is poverty that drives anyone to do anything to survive. But then this one who decides that everyone should fast and him he’s not fasting must be charged, this one deserves death,” she added.
The Azimio lawmaker argued that stronger restrictions governing religious society registration in Kenya would reduce the exploiting of the devout by church leaders for personal benefit.
“We cannot use the Bible to also now find people going into things where they are brainwashed until you cannot understand. I would plead with the church and religious leaders it is time to regulate because people have started to take advantage of not just poverty but also people’s challenges,” Elachi further stated.
Her remarks come as the Shakahola death toll has risen up to 73 as of Monday.
Pastor Mackenzie who is the mastermind behind the cult is said to have instructed his followers of the Good News International Church to starve themselves in order to meet Jesus.
The police have so far arrested fifteen members of the cult including Mackenzie’s brother, his wife and co-mastermind.
