The National Council of Churches has condemned controversial Kilifi preacher Paul Mackenzie terming him an impostor.

According to NCCK secretary general Chris Kinyanjui, Mackenzie and his church are not part of the umbrella group of churches.

He also faulted security forces for failing to act quickly when local pastors and bishops voiced concerns about his unlawful actions.

Since Saturday, at least 67 remains thought to be those of his followers have been excavated from mass graves.

“I have spoken to a few of our pastors and bishops in Kilifi and they have said this is a matter they discussed with some of the security agencies before,” Kinyanjui said.

“They raised an alarm however not much was done. We also don’t understand how he was allowed to operate in the forest for that long.”

According to NCCK, Kenya has laws directing the registration of religious institutions under the Societies Act, and churches are required to follow the rules.

He stated that in the 1960s and 1970s, the government used to collaborate with them before registering any church, ensuring that background information on a certain preacher was provided to the State before authorizing their registration.

However, this is no longer the case, resulting in the proliferation of entities that take advantage of their followers.