Mission Network News - Kenya

Kenya (MNN) — In Kenya, a doomsday cult’s death toll has passed 400. Detectives recently discovered 12 more bodies of cult victims in the Malindi forest area who died of starvation.

The cult preacher Paul Mackenzie has been in custody with 36 other suspects after coercing hundreds of his followers to starve themselves and their children to death to meet Jesus. Most of were women and children. Another 95 people have been rescued from the cult.

Evidence from autopsies and eyewitnesses reveal starvation was violently enforced and some victims were asphyxiated.

Nehemiah with FMI says, “This pastor, he has a gang. They call it an enforcer gang…. Sixteen men [arrested with Mackenzie] are accused of operating an armed enforcer gang tasked with ensuring that no one broke their fast or left their forest hideout alive. That is one of the reasons that they are able to find more than 400 bodies.

Bible distribution in Kenya. (Photo courtesy of FMI)

“Mackenzie fell foul of the law in 2017 after he was accused of urging children not to attend school claiming that the Bible did not recognize education,” says Nehemiah. “This is so horrible. He was arrested again in March after two children starved to death in the custody of their parents but was subsequently freed on bond.”

Distorted spiritual teaching and false preachers like Mackenzie are a major problem in Kenya — confusing and misleading many to physical and spiritual death.

That’s why truly biblical, Gospel-centered ministries like FMI in Kenya are so critical. Eternity is at stake for 53 million souls!

FMI supports church planters in Kenya reaching their people with the true Word of God. Recently, they distributed over 2,000 Bibles!

Nehemiah asks, “Pray for the Kenya Church at large. May God raise many pastors, teachers, evangelists, [and] theologians who can teach their people what is a Bible-based church because false teaching is so common in Kenya.

“I would request our brothers and sisters, please pray for the Kenya Church, for revival so they understand the true light of the Gospel.”

Header photo courtesy of Jan Canty/Unsplash.

Kenya (MNN) — Political opponents in Kenya call for another round of anti-government protests starting today. As many as 35 civilians have been killed this month in violent clashes between protestors and the police.

The unrest is supposedly driven by a new Finance Act raising taxes. However, “a lot of it is political,” Bernice Gatere with Trans World Radio Kenya says.

“We had elections last year in August. The President was sworn in, but the opposition did not agree with the results. The opposition has always claimed that the election was rigged.”

Christian and international leaders worry that violent protests may lead to chaos and instability.

“There is a great need to pray for Kenya because of [the] role that Kenya plays,” Gatere says.

“Kenya is where refugees from troubled countries run, from Sudan to DRC.”

(Photo courtesy of TWR Kenya)

Kenyan delegates are currently trying to help broker peace in war-torn Sudan. “Pray for Kenya so that she can stand and continue that role of mediating peace in the region,” Gatere requests.

Pray that the current hostilities in Kenya will end so peace and stability may return. Kenya hosts more than a half-million refugees. As long as Kenya is stable, those refugees do not have to flee for their lives – again.

Trans World Radio introduces refugees to the Prince of Peace through a radio station in one of the main refugee camps. More about that here.

“We minister to all these refugees. They share their horror stories of how they left their homes, what it means to have your peace disrupted,” Gatere says.

Header image is a representative stock photo courtesy of SHVETS production/Pexels.

Kenya (MNN) — Kenyan streets are quiet again after the latest round of anti-tax demonstrations.

By Friday there was “hardly any sign of protests, at least in Nairobi,” Trans World Radio’s Bernice Gatere says.

“Shops are open, public transport is back, and kids are back to school.”

Political opposition leader Raila Odinga recently called for a three-day protest beginning July 19. Gatere urged TWR Kenya staff to work from home on Wednesday because “when [there are] protests, it interrupts the transport system so people are not able to get to work or to get back to their homes.”

Police arrested 300 people nationwide on Wednesday as ongoing protests escalated. The United Nations says up to 23 people have been killed in police-protestor clashes this month, but the Kenyan government disputes this figure.

Amnesty International reports 30 civilian deaths since March.

“Protesting is enshrined in the Constitution, but it is peaceful [protesting,]” Gatere says.

“Unfortunately, protests always seem to turn violent, and the police then respond with too much force.”

Economic hardship is driving people into the streets. “The cost of living continued to increase with the new government, which came into power with a promise of lowering the cost of living, especially for the poor,” Gatere says.

Believers call for peace as politicians fan the flames of public discontent. “Church leaders offered to mediate in differences between the opposition leader and the president,” Gatere says.

“The Body of Christ has been involved in trying to get the two sides to talk instead of going into the streets. The dialogue did start, and then the talks collapsed.”

Pray that politicians will stop instigating unrest in Kenya.

“They (opposition leaders) haven’t given a timetable for the next round [of protests], but they’re saying this is not the end,” Gatere says.

“We expect that as soon as they have recovered from this one, they’ll be strategizing and then giving their supporters the next course of action.”

Header image is a representative stock photo depicting activity on a street in Nairobi. (Photo courtesy of Nicholas Gray/Unsplash)