Interior CS kithure kindiki says that the government had no intelligence on what was happening at Shakahola Forest, which housed mass graves for hundreds of bodies thought to be members of Pastor Paul Mackenzie's cult.
So far, 350 bodies have been recovered from the land, with more expected to be uncovered when 40 graves have been located.
Speaking before the Senate Ad Hoc Committee on Tuesday, Interior Cabinet Secretary (CS) Kithure Kindiki indicated that Mackenzie has been on the government's radar since his detention in 2017, but how the burial place escaped the intelligence service's notice remains a mystery.
Kindiki stated they are now attempting to solve the puzzle by carefully interrogating it.
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He says that Intelligence led to these arrests, but there was no intelligence on the final matter involving the forest. They are getting closer to determining why there was no intelligence, particularly in the susceptible areas where people began to be killed.
Kindiki also questioned why Mackenzie was released despite repeated court appearances concerning allegations involving his church, Good News International.
Police officials raided the Good News International church in October 2017 and rescued about 93 children, leading to the arrest of Pastor Mackenzie and some church members.
He was then charged in court with inciting radicalization and instructing youngsters in an unauthorized school within his church.
Later that year, angry Bungale people in Magarini, Kilifi County, damaged one of Pastor Makenzie's churches, accusing him of indoctrinating them with bogus Christian teachings.
Locals also demolished the property of a Pastor who works for Pastor Makenzie at Good News International church in Majengo ya Wakala community for allegedly inciting extremism.
He was charged in April 2019 with possessing and distributing films to the public without a valid license from the Kenya Film Classification Board (KFCB).
It wasn't until 2023 that concerns were raised after two toddlers died in their parents' care after Mackenzie advised members of his church to starve themselves to "meet Jesus."
Police detained him on April 15 after discovering the bodies of four followers who allegedly starved themselves to "meet Jesus" at his command.
