Church starvation cult: Kenyan authorities powerless to take down pastor’s social media videos

Published June 21, 2023 By admin with Comments 0

Ezra Chiloba – the CEO of Kenya’s Communications Authority – revealed that the agency doesn’t have any legal power to act on social media content. This response follows an inquiry by the Senate Ad Committee set up to probe the starvation cult saga which saw the deaths of more than 300 people.

The cult is reportedly connected to Good News International Church which is headed by Paul Mackenzie. Mackenzie, the prime suspect, is accused of encouraging his members to starve to death so they can meet Jesus.

Despite being in police custody, his sermons – many of which are controversial– can be viewed on YouTube, a social media platform. Aside from calling members on to stave, Mackenzie preached against the Huduma Numba initiative, tagging it a mark of the beast. He even warned members against registering for the government-issued identity card.

Explaining the CA’s inability to clamp down on Mackenzie’s digital content, Chiloba said that the social media platforms are owned by non-Kenyans, a fact that insulates them from the existing regulations.

Content retrieved from: https://technext24.com/2023/06/20/kenyan-church-cult-social-media/.