Kenya cult leader Paul Mackenzie to face 10 charges, including murder, in Shakahola cult case

By Andrew Wasike

NAIROBI, Kenya (AA) - A Kenyan agency said Tuesday it will file 10 charges against controversial Pastor Paul Mackenzie and 94 others in relation to the Shakahola cult that is responsible for the deaths of hundreds of victims.

The charges by the Office of the Director of Public Prosecutions (ODPP) come in response to a court ultimatum that demanded either it charge or release those who are accused.

The charges include murder, manslaughter, assault, radicalization, engaging in organized criminal activity, cruelty to a child, facilitating the commission of a terrorist act and child torture, among others.

"Upon thorough analysis of the evidence, the Director of Public Prosecutions(DPP) is satisfied that there is sufficient evidence to prosecute ninety-five (95) suspects with the charges listed," according to a statement from the Director of Public Prosecutions Renson Mulele Ingonga.

Mulele ordered the prompt arraignment of the suspects before the High Court and subordinate courts without delay.

The gruesome discovery of hundreds of corpses in the Shakahola Forest in Kilifi County last April has been a focal point of investigations into Mackenzie's Good News International Church.

The death toll linked to the Shakahola cult surpassed 400 by the end of 2023.

Mackenzie is alleged to have ordered his followers to starve themselves to death, with the promise of reaching heaven before the supposed end of the world.

The bodies were subsequently buried in shallow graves on an 800-acre area in Shakahola.

Investigations have revealed some victims were found to have missing organs, fueling suspicions of a human organ trafficking syndicate within the cult.