'My wife and six children followed Pastor Mackenzie'.On Monday, police in the coastal county of Kwale rescued 200 people, including 50 children, from a forest in a suspected case of religious kidnapping. President William Ruto has formed a commission of inquiry to probe the deaths. Hundreds of others have been reported missing. Pastor Paul Mackenzie, the leader of the Good News International Church based in Kilifi, is awaiting trial amid accusations of ordering his followers to starve themselves to death. This comes as investigators in Kilifi county on the coast looking into a separate case involving a doomsday cult said they had exhumed 21 more bodies, bringing the total of those known to have died to 133. However, the preacher says he has done nothing wrong to warrant an arrest, adding that he only spreads the gospel, local media reports. He is expected to appear before police in the western county of Bungoma on Wednesday. Mr Wekesa has 12 disciples named after the descendants of the biblical Jacob. He has led members of his church to believe that he is Jesus. The DR Congo leader also criticised the Kenyan authorities over the resignation and replacement of the first force commander, Gen Jeff Nyagah, over unspecified “threats”.īBC Copyright: BBC Eliud Wekesa has led members of his church to believe that he is Jesus Image caption: Eliud Wekesa has led members of his church to believe that he is JesusĪ controversial Kenyan preacher has been summoned by police as the government cracks down on what it calls rogue churches and extremist religious leaders.Įliud Wekesa, popularly known as "Jesus of Tongaren", the leader of the New Jerusalem sect, was summoned on Tuesday for questioning about his suspicious religious teachings. His remark came a day after the Southern African Development Community (Sadc) bloc agreed to deploy troops “with offensive mandate” to eastern DR Congo. "It was a question of forcing these M23 forces to ceasefire, to withdraw and to be confined to camps," he added. “In some regions, there is cohabitation between the regional force and the M23 terrorists. President Tshisekedi also expressed frustration with the regional force, which he said was not operating as DR Congo had expected and was allegedly colluding with the rebels. The EACRF was deployed in the region in March to help quell the March 23 Movement (M23) rebellion but has since been criticised for failing to force the rebels to relinquish territory. “We will decide to escort these contingents… and thank them,” he said on Tuesday in Botswana, where he is on a state visit. Reuters Copyright: Reuters President Felix Tshisekedi said the troops could depart by the end of June Image caption: President Felix Tshisekedi said the troops could depart by the end of Juneĭemocratic Republic of Congo's President Felix Tshisekedi has said the East African Community Regional Force (EACRF) will be pulled out from the country's east if it fails to fulfil its peace-making mandate by June.
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