'He buried them at the altar'

Mackenzie, the leader of the Good News International Church, is at the centre of a terrifying cult investigation in Kilifi and is said to have instructed members to starve themselves in order to "meet Jesus."

Detectives who have for seven days now been examining a burial site in Chakama ranch, Shakahola Forest have discovered a total of 98 bodies.

While revealing more details about the incident, MP Kombe stated that while Pastor Mackenzie was burying his wives, his heinous acts spread like wildfire to the public, forcing him to close the church and opt to "go to the farm and practise farming."

"Pastor Mackenzie started his ministry in Malindi, Furunzi area. Time went by and he lost his wife and buried her in the church, he lost another one and buried her in the church, he buried them at the altar," he said during an interview with Citizen TV on Thursday.

"Eventually we had wrangles and that is why the church was shut down. When it was closed that is when he said he is going to do some farming. This was about three years ago."

MP Kombe went on to say that when he went to commission a road construction in Chakama, he met a young man from Eldoret County who had escaped Pastor Mackenzie's camp.

MP Kombe added that the young man had gone to look for his mother and witnessed a slew of deaths in the camp.

"He told me that people are suffering there and dying. He told me that 'since I went there I have witnessed over 50 people being buried'" he said.

MP Kombe stated that after hearing the young man's story, he rushed to the Directorate of Criminal Investigation (DCI) regional offices, but was disappointed to learn that the police officers were advocating for Pastor Mackenizie's activities.

"I did due diligence and took him to Malindi's DCI offices and to our surprise the Deputy Officer started praising Mackenzie saying Mackenzie is a good man, we arrested him and he was released with a bail of Ksh.10,000."

Chakama Ranch has since been cordoned off in the wake of the operation and a 30-day dusk-to-dawn curfew imposed. 

The government on Wednesday also barred the media from accessing the area.

Mackenzie was charged last month after two children died of starvation while in their parents' care and is still in police custody.

Police have also since arrested fourteen members of the cult. 

Meanwhile, over 300 persons have been reported still with a majority of the dead being children.