Interior Cabinet Secretary Prof. Kithure Kindiki is expected to appear before a Senate Ad-hoc committee investigating the circumstances leading to the deaths of 110 people in Shakahola, Kilifi County.
The committee will kick off the public hearings next week and is expected to table a report on its findings to the House in 90 days.
In addition to CS Kindiki, the committee will grill Attorney General Justin Muturi and the Registrar of Societies in the Office of the Attorney General.
The Senate committee will be seeking to establish the registration status of religious organizations in the country and the mitigation measures of the current case and regulations, if any, in use to control religious entities and their activities.
Other issues the committee will seek to establish from CS Kindiki &Co, include the role played by pastor Paul Mackenzie, his pastoral team and the Kilifi County security agencies in aiding and abetting the deaths of the Good News International church’s followers.
The committee is then expected to move to Kilifi County to probe the county government, the County Commissioner, and the security team.
It will also visit the Shakahola Forest and hold talks with families of the cult’s victims.
The committee chaired by Tana River Senator Danson Mungatana will also visit Pastor Ezekiel Odero’s New Life Prayer Centre in Mavueni, Kilifi County.
The committee will also hold meetings with religious organisations to discuss measures that can avert religious extremism.
Some of the organisations are NCCK, Hindu Council of Kenya, SUPKEM, the Kenya Conference of Catholic Bishops and traditional groups.
The Committee is also expected to invite members of the public with information to submit their views on the matter to the committee.
The invitation will be done through an advert in the newspapers.
