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Following a court’s warning that it could have to free a suspected cult leader, Kenyan prosecutors announced on Tuesday that they plan to prosecute him—along with dozens of other suspects—with murder and terrorism in connection with the deaths of over 400 of his followers.
In a case that stunned the world, self-described preacher Paul Nthenge Mackenzie is accused of encouraging his followers to starve to death in order to “meet Jesus.”
Following the discovery of victims in a forest close to the Indian Ocean shore in April of last year, Mackenzie was taken into custody.
His pre-trial confinement has been prolonged multiple times as the investigations progress.
“Upon thorough analysis of the evidence, the director of public prosecutions is satisfied that there is sufficient evidence to prosecute 95 suspects,” the DPP’s office said.
The move comes a week after a court gave authorities 14 days to prosecute the former taxi driver or release him.
Mackenzie and his co-accused will face 10 charges including murder, manslaughter and terrorism.
They will also be charged with “subjecting a child to torture”, the prosecutors said.
It was not immediately clear when the 95 suspects would appear in court but prosecutors said they undertook “to prosecute the matters expeditiously”.
‘Heinous activities’
Autopsies have revealed the majority of the victims died of hunger. But others, including children, appear to have been strangled, beaten or suffocated.
To date, 429 bodies have been located.
The government announced that there was a need for more stringent oversight of fringe denominations as a result of the disturbing findings in what has been called the “Shakahola forest massacre”.
Self-declared pastors and movements are not new in Kenya.
According to an October report by a Senate commission of investigation, Mackenzie was charged in 2017 for his extremist preaching.
“(But) the criminal justice system failed to deter the heinous activities of Paul Mackenzie in Shakahola,” it said.
In 2017, he was cleared of radicalization allegations related to his unlawful teaching practice in schools. He disapproved of the formal education system, saying it was inconsistent with biblical teachings.
He was also charged in 2019 with having ties to the deaths of two kids who were allegedly starved, strangled, and buried in a shallow grave in the Shakahola forest. While awaiting trial, he was freed on bond.
Kenya, a country with a substantial Christian population, has had trouble controlling dishonest churches and cults that engage in criminal activity.
Based on official data, there are nearly 4,000 churches officially recognized in the 53 million-person East African nation.
