Prophetess Mary Sinaida Akatsa is a no-nonsense preacher with a huge following notorious for beating errant members of her congregation.

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She burst into the public limelight a few years ago when a video of her whipping followers went viral to the surprise of many Kenyans who found it unbelievable.

Mary contends that beating her followers is consistent with what the scriptures say.

''Even when Jesus saw them going astray, he whipped them. He confused them and turned things upside down. I have to follow the footsteps of Jesus. I am following what the scripture says. When a child strays, you beat them up so that they can come out of the hole that they are in,'' Akatsa told a mainstream media outlet.

Her church, the Jerusalem Church of Christ, is located in Kawangware, a suburb in Nairobi and commands a huge following that borders on the cultic.

Unlike in other churches where erring members are prayed for, erring members of Akatsa's church are whipped to instill discipline, something that scores of Kenyans find rather odd.

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