Interior Cabinet Secretary Prof. Kithure Kindiki has ordered an immediate reshuffle of all senior police commanders and officers within Kilifi County following the Shakahola cult massacre.
Kindiki announced that all the top security leadership in the area would be transferred to other parts of the country and new leadership deployed in their place in order to increase security and facilitate proper investigations.
He added that this would allow for an effective probe into the cult, involving self-proclaimed pastor Paul Mackenzie, where over 109 deaths have been reported so far.
The CS explained that some of the current security personnel may have received reports earlier regarding the cult and ignored them, and cannot be trusted to conduct the investigations again.
“We will replace them with their colleagues from elsewhere so that we can show the public that what we are doing is for the good of the country and the good of justice,” Kindiki said.
He also reassured the public of the government’s commitment to root out acts of criminality in the country and bring to book perpetrators purporting to be religious leaders. The Interior boss said the government would employ force similar to that used for terrorists and bandits.
“Kenya will never be hurt like this ever again; all the criminals out there, manipulating the people of Kenya, exposing them to the degrading and inhuman treatment using scriptures, your time is up,” he warned.
“We are coming for you, we’ll get hold of you…you are in the same category with other dangerous categories we have been fighting including bandits in North Rift and terrorists that try to hurt us from time to time.”
The Shakahola cult massacre has elicited the anger of the country, with calls for action and justice for the victims.