A cult leader and many suspected accomplices have been charged with manslaughter by a Kenyan court for the deaths of over 200 individuals.
According to court documents obtained by AFP, 94 individuals, including Paul Nthenge Mackenzie who claims to be a pastor, entered a plea of not guilty for 238 charges of manslaughter. His wife is also among the accused.
Mackenzie, who was recently accused of terrorism, is accused of encouraging his followers to starve themselves to death in order to “meet Jesus.” This shocking case has caused outrage globally.
In April, he was taken into custody following the discovery of bodies in the Shakahola forest by the Indian Ocean. Post-mortem examinations showed that the majority of the 429 individuals had perished due to starvation. Additional victims, including minors, showed signs of strangulation, physical assault, or suffocation.
According to court documents, a total of 238 individuals lost their lives at Shakahola between January 2021 and September 2023, as mentioned during the hearing on Tuesday.
At a previous court session in Mombasa, Mackenzie entered a plea of not guilty for terrorism charges. He will receive a mental evaluation to determine his ability to stand trial for murder at a separate court hearing in Malindi, a town located on the coast.
Kenya, a predominantly Christian country, has faced challenges in monitoring and controlling deceitful churches and cults involved in illegal activities.
The gruesome incident, known as the “Shakahola forest massacre”, prompted the government to address the issue of stricter regulation of fringe religious groups.
There have been inquiries regarding how Mackenzie was able to elude authorities even though they have a record of radicalism and past encounters with the law.
The Senate commission concluded in October that a man with seven children had been accused of preaching extreme beliefs in 2017. He was found not guilty of allegations of promoting radical ideas and teaching without proper credentials, as he believed the traditional education system did not align with his religious beliefs.
In 2019, he faced allegations of involvement in the deaths of two children who were thought to have died from starvation, suffocation, and were subsequently buried in a shallow grave in Shakahola. He was granted bail until the ongoing trial is concluded.
The government reports that there are over 4,000 registered churches in the eastern African nation of 53 million inhabitants.
Source: theguardian.com
