KENYA, Feb 6: The Malindi High Court charged Kenyan Christian cult leader Paul Nthenge Mackenzie and 29 other suspects with the murder of 191 children on Tuesday. The charges stem from the discovery of children’s bodies in the Shakahola forest in eastern Kenya last year, where Mackenzie and his associates allegedly operated a death cult. Over 400 bodies were exhumed from the forest following extensive search efforts.
Appearing before the court, Mackenzie and the co-accused pleaded not guilty to the charges. One suspect was deemed mentally unfit to stand trial. Mackenzie faces additional charges, including terrorism, manslaughter, and child cruelty, with his trial scheduled to commence on March 7.
Mackenzie, formerly in charge of the Good News International Church, stands accused of leading a doomsday cult that purportedly encouraged followers to starve themselves and their children to attain heaven. Investigators assert that the cult, under Mackenzie’s directives, anticipated the world’s end.
Authorities have detained Mackenzie since April last year, while forensic teams meticulously combed the forest for evidence. Autopsy findings revealed that many of the recovered bodies had succumbed to starvation, while others displayed signs of blunt trauma and strangulation.
In a recent development, a court threatened to release Mackenzie unless the state prosecutor pressed charges promptly. Prosecutors cited challenges in identifying victims due to the advanced decomposition of the bodies, necessitating a lengthy DNA identification process.
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