Interior Cabinet Secretary Kipchumba Murkomen has said Paul Mackenzie will be held separately from other inmates while serving his 200-year prison sentence.
Speaking during a church service in Ikolomani, Kakamega County, on Sunday, November 8, Murkomen said the government would set aside a secure section for the controversial preacher to prevent him from influencing other prisoners.
The CS said the decision was aimed at stopping the spread of extremist religious teachings in prisons and preventing others from following the same path.
“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.
His remarks came amid reports that Mackenzie had attempted to influence police officers and fellow inmates through his teachings before being imprisoned on November 5.
Murkomen also credited the Directorate of Criminal Investigations (DCI), the Office of the Director of Public Prosecutions (ODPP) and the Judiciary for their roles in bringing the case to court.
He said the government would continue supporting the institutions and working with the Judiciary to protect Kenyans. He also warned that religious organisations found promoting extremism and radicalisation would face government action.
Meanwhile, residents of Kilifi County have called for investigations into the conduct of local administrators who allegedly failed to report Mackenzie’s activities before the Shakahola tragedy.
The residents claim chiefs and their assistants ignored warning signs, including unusual movements, children dropping out of school and the growing influence of Mackenzie’s teachings among his followers.
They argue that the administrators should have alerted security agencies before the situation escalated, leaving more than 400 people dead at Shakahola.
Mackenzie had previously come to the attention of authorities as far back as 2017. Questions have also been raised over how his followers moved to the 800-acre Chakama Ranch without local administrators raising concerns.
