Despite Christian Missionaries being credited for bringing education, self-styled Pastor Paul Mackenzie Nthenge of Good News International Church passionately resented western education.
Besides being anti-government in sermons, Mackenzie, the charismatic, Form Four leaver, now a suspect preached against children going to school and other modern earthly and societal systems. With neither theological nor divinity training to further his preaching and doctrine, Mackenzie claimed he had a calling from God who kept dishing him with divine teachings.
“Once that spiritual fountain dried up and stopped gifting him heavenly instructions Mackenzie stopped preaching in 2019 to go into large scale farming,’’ claimed Robert Mbatha, Mackenzie’s younger brother. Though a follower of Good News International Church the healthy well-nourished brother claims his children attend school and attend hospital when sick.
This contradicts the healthy, well-fed Mackenzie who instructed that children not to attend school but attend his church and though not in a hurry to ascend to heaven, Pastor Mackenzie preached that his followers, comprising mostly children, ought to starve to death in order to meet their maker.
Though this starvation to salvation compromised the followers’ health, the gospel preaching according to Pastor Mackenzie tabooed followers from seeking medical attention.
According sources, his followers were reportedly subjected to bizarre, strict rules and practices that led to dissolution of many marriages which made many children drop out of school.
Interestingly, despite preaching against children’s education, Pastor Mackenzie’s network targeted young bright smart graduates to administer his mission.
However, Mackenzie’s younger brother absolved him from any wrong doing: “the pastor didn’t force anyone to his teaching. ’’
However, Mbatha doesn’t deny that Mackenzie pastoring went against the grain by preaching for folks to embrace the vicious circle of ignorance, illiteracy and none medication that led to ill health.
In Mackenzie’s quest to achieve his brainwashing evil deeds in his Shakahola Empire in Malindi Sub-County in Kilifi County, the pastor mainly targeted school children.
“While children vulnerability could be due to age and lack of exposure, educated adults falling victims is due to religion being the opium of the masses who look for external support away from themselves,’’ explained Charles Ofwete, a teacher in Benane high school in Garissa .
Mackenzie got in problems with then Malindi MP, Aisha Jumwa. The coastal iron lady got irked and almost went physical with him after Mackenzie urged residents not only to burn their academic certificates but also dissuade the school children away from school.
“He was preaching to school children to drop out of school and attend his Good News International Church founded in 2003,’’ recalled the gender CS.
By Amoto Ndiewo
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