By Rédaction Africa Links 24 with africanews.com
Published on 2024-01-17 15:43:09
Doomsday cult leader Paul Mackenzie and 30 of his followers appeared in a Kenyan court in the coastal town of Malindi on Wednesday to face charges of murdering 191 children. The suspects did not enter pleas as High Court Judge Mugure Thande granted a request from prosecutors for them to undergo mental assessments and return to court on Feb. 6.
According to the prosecution’s charge sheet, the remains of 180 of the 191 dead children have not been identified. Mackenzie and some of his followers have been accused of the deaths of 429 members of his Good News International Church, many of whom are believed to have starved themselves in the belief that by doing so they would meet Jesus Christ before the world ends.
The bodies were discovered in shallow graves on an 800-acre ranch in a remote area known as Shakahola Forest in the coastal county of Kilifi. Police rescued 15 emaciated church members who revealed that Mackenzie had instructed them to fast to death before the world ends. Four of the 15 died after being taken to a hospital, and autopsies on some of the bodies found in the graves showed they died from starvation, strangulation, or suffocation.
Kenya’s top prosecutor announced that 95 people will be charged with murder, cruelty, child torture, and other crimes related to this case. The defendants have been held since their arrest last April, with prosecutors previously requesting permission to continue holding them while the investigation continues. However, last week, the court declined their request for an additional 60 days, citing sufficient time given for the investigation.
Mackenzie is currently serving a separate one-year prison sentence after being found guilty of operating a film studio and producing movies for his preaching without a valid license. He allegedly encouraged church members to move to Shakahola Forest to prepare for the end of the world, and a Senate committee report stated that followers were not allowed to leave the area or interact with each other. The report also highlighted the destruction of vital documents, causing difficulties in identifying the dead.
