Long before the 'Shakahola massacre' was unravelled, Public Service, Affirmative Action and Gender CS Aisha Jumwa had on several occasions exposed controversial preacher, Paul Mackenzie.
Jumwa was at the time Malindi MP. While stories about Mackenzie's church made headlines as early as 2017, he was able to get away with it somehow.
Each time he got arrested and charged in court, he would walk free after posting bail. In 2018, Jumwa severally called out the preacher over his cult-like teachings.
She went ahead to threaten to storm his church over the teachings that saw children stop going to school, while some even dropped out after they were made to believe education is "satanic".
Jumwa also accused the controversial preacher of bribing the police who always turned a blind eye to his activities.
"Despite having been arrested about three times and charged, the pastor is still scot-free and continues with his work of radicalising school children," she said in 2018.
Jumwa had threatened to make her move after a video went viral showing children aged between 6 to 17 years renouncing education.
In the video, one of the boys is heard responding to a question saying education is ungodly as revealed in the 'holy scriptures'.
The video led to a public outcry, prompting Aisha Jumwa's reaction. In response, Mackenzie said Jumwa was inciting the people against his church.
He also cautioned Jumwa from interfering with his church, insisting that he would take action against her, or any other leader opposed to his religious activities.
“If anyone feels offended about my summons and teachings in accordance with the scripture, let them go to court and produce evidence," he said, adding that he was not afraid to serve his god.
In 2017, police raided Mackenzie's Good News International where at least 93 kids were rescued.
The controversial preacher was charged, and later on, released on a Sh500,000 bond. In October 2018, angry residents in Magarini, Kilifi County demolished one of his churches.
They also burnt down the home of a Pastor who worked for the controversial preacher at Good News International church at Majengo ya Wakala village in Bungale.
The residents claimed he was indoctrinating locals with false Christian teachings.
In 2019, Mackenzie was arrested for inciting the public against registration for Huduma Namba by likening it to the Number of the Beast.
The controversial preacher, Paul Mackenzie Nthenge, is in custody, pending a court appearance.
He was arrested on April 15 after discovering the bodies of four people suspected of having starved themselves to death.
Nthenge has denied wrongdoing but has been denied bail. He insists that he shut down his church in 2019. The followers say he told them to starve themselves in order to "meet Jesus".
On Monday, police exhumed 20 more bodies at the 800-acre Shakahola land in Magarini, Kilifi County, bringing the total number of bodies exhumed so far to 67.
Immigration Department to be open on Saturday for passport collection