Nairobi News

Popular radio host Maina Kageni, has revealed how his mother once gave a tithe of Sh500,000 to US preacher Benny Hinn, even as she denied him a smaller amount of money.

“My mum gave half a million to US preacher Bennie Hinn as tithe. Yet I asked her to give me Sh40,000 and she told me she did not have cash,” said Maina

The revelation came during a discussion on Classic 105 about the discovery of 58 graves on the land belonging to Good News International Church Founder, Paul Mackenzie, in Shakahola.

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In 2000, Hinn visited Kenya promising miracle cures for ailments ranging from HIV/AIDS to blindness and gaining popularity among Kenyans.

However, it is alleged that at the time, four Kenyans, including two young children, died at a crusade while they waited for miracle cures from the visiting American evangelist.

The four had been released from a hospital to be cured at Hinn’s ‘Miracle Crusade’, while 10 others were injured after falling from trees they had climbed to get a view of the preacher. This is the meeting where Hinn had prophesied that Jesus would appear on the platform.

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As of today, the death toll in Shakahola starvation cult has risen to 89, with Interior Cabinet Secretary Kithure Kindiki saying it is a turning point for Kenya on how to handle security issues caused by religious insurgents.

Kindiki has also called for tighter regulation of churches, mosques, temples and synagogues to prevent such abuses in the future.

On Sunday, one woman was rescued in one of the hideouts in a bad health state.

With investigations ongoing, the authorities initially had a total of 32 sites to dig up. They had hoped to recover 32 bodies as per an informant who had tipped them off, police said. However, the number has kept rising.

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