Why the state and the church are on the cross over the Shakahola debacle

Detectives exhuming bodies at pastor Paul Makenzi's Shakahola farm in Kilifi County. [Kevin Macharia, Interior]

The discovery of mass deaths of worshippers in Shakahola, Kilifi County, linked to Pastor Paul Mackenzie has brought into sharp focus the delicate state and church relationship. It has equally pushed to the fore the vexed issue of state regulation of the church and the inherent scrutiny of men and women of the cloth.

As it were, the church and the government are literary between a rock and a hard place in dealing with the rotten eggs in the house of God. Shakahola has exposed the soft underbelly of government in its dealings with the church and vice versa. Both were not just caught off guard but thoroughly embarrassed by the fact that the killings went on under their noses.

The church's embarrassment stems from the fact that it has miserably failed to enforce self-regulation and tame its rogue and wayward clergy in their midst. Despite vehement opposition to state regulation, it has become obvious that the church can no longer be trusted with this serious matter of regulating itself and weeding out church leaders who mislead their flock. The state must therefore offer a lasting solution.