MP wants Mackenzie's wife arrested

A Member of Parliament (MP) wants police to arrest more people connected to 'Pastor' Paul Mackenzie of the Good News International (GNI) 'Church.'

The controversial cleric has attracted international attention, after directing his followers to 'fast to death' in a bid to 'meet Jesus.'

Detectives have exhumed over 70 bodies and rescued a host of people -most of them emaciated as a result of the fast.

Mackenzie is in police custody. President William Ruto on Monday called him a terrorist, adding that he belongs to jail.

Now, Dagoretti North MP Beatrice Elachi wants Mackenzie's wife, Joyce Mwikamba to be arrested alongside other people connected to him.

Speaking on Citizen TV's Day Break show on Tuesday morning, Elachi said members of his family among them his wife should be arrested for encouraging him to commit criminal activities.

"They should be jailed, him and the wife so that they learn a good lesson. You are part of the participation of ensuring they are fasting they have to, and even the supervisors, all of them must be in," said the first term MP.

"We cannot take advantage of poverty to finish our people. You know it is poverty that drives anyone to do anything to survive. But then this one who decides that everyone should fast and him he's not fasting must be charged, this one deserves death," she added.

The vocal legislature said she advocates for regulation of religious organizations.

"We cannot use the Bible to also now find people going into things where they are brainwashed until you cannot understand. I would plead with the church and religious leaders it is time to regulate because people have started to take advantage of not just poverty but also people's challenges."

Detectives continue to dig up more shallow graves in Shakahola village, Kilifi County with a view of retrieving more bodies.