Nairobi — Interior Cabinet Secretary Kipchumba Murkomen has vowed to ensure controversial preacher Paul Mackenzie remains in exclusive custody, citing fears that he could radicalise other inmates if allowed to interact freely with them.
Murkomen said the government would maintain strict custody arrangements for Mackenzie, who is facing charges linked to the Shakahola deaths, amid concerns over the potential influence of his teachings on other prisoners.
Speaking during a church service in Ikolomani Constituency, Kakamega on Sunday, Murkomen said the government would provide a secluded area for Mackenzie to serve his sentence, restricting his interaction with other prisoners.
Follow us on WhatsApp | LinkedIn for the latest headlines
"We will provide a secluded area to hold him to make sure that there will be no radicalisation again by the type of Mackenzies in this country," Murkomen said.
The CS's remarks followed intelligence reports indicating that Mackenzie had allegedly attempted to radicalise fellow inmates and police officers while in custody.
Murkomen said the arrangement was intended to prevent the preacher from using the prison environment to spread extremist religious teachings or influence vulnerable inmates.
The government is concerned that other prisoners could adopt Mackenzie's teachings and potentially establish similar movements after their release
The announcement comes days after the High Court in Mombasa sentenced Mackenzie to 200 years in prison for his role in the Shakahola massacre, which claimed the lives of 191 people, including 190 children and one adult.
Justice Diana Kavedza-Mochache handed Mackenzie consecutive 100-year sentences for 183 counts of murder by starvation and eight counts involving direct homicide.
Twenty-eight co-accused were also convicted, receiving prison sentences ranging between 10 and 160 years.
The court found that Mackenzie orchestrated a system of religious indoctrination in which followers were instructed to starve themselves and their children in preparation for what he described as meeting Jesus.
The prosecution presented forensic evidence, medical reports and witness testimonies detailing how the fasting was enforced through intimidation, violence and confinement.
Murkomen commended the Office of the Director of Public Prosecutions (ODPP), the Directorate of Criminal Investigations (DCI) and the Judiciary for their role in securing Mackenzie's conviction.
He said the government would take firm measures against religious extremism and radicalisation while safeguarding the constitutional right to freedom of worship.
Sign up for free AllAfrica Newsletters
Get the latest in African news delivered straight to your inbox
"The Government will take firm measures to address religious extremism and radicalisation, without undermining the constitutional right to the freedom of worship," Murkomen said in remarks following the sentencing.
The Shakahola tragedy emerged in 2023 after investigators uncovered mass graves in Kilifi County, eventually recovering hundreds of bodies from the forest.
Mackenzie's sentencing marks a major development in the prosecution of the killings, although he continues to face separate proceedings relating to other alleged offences.
