Kenyan court orders mental exam for cult leader Mackenzie ahead of murder trial

By Andrew Wasike

NAIROBI, Kenya (AA) - Kenya's High Court Justice Mugure Thande issued an order Wednesday for Shakahola cult leader Paul Mackenzie to undergo a mental examination before the start of his murder trial.

The court allowed the prosecution a 14-day window to conduct an assessment of Mackenzie and 30 of his followers.

Mugure said every suspect should undergo a psychiatric assessment, with the resulting report presented in court before entering pleas.

Additionally, the judge instructed the Kenya Prisons Service to administer necessary treatment to the accused individuals.

The Office of the Director of Public Prosecutions(ODPP) said after the assessment, the group will first face "191 counts of murder charges of the minors."

The hearing is scheduled to resume Feb. 6.

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.

More than 400 bodies were subsequently buried in shallow graves in an 800-acre area in Shakahola and discovered in April 2023.

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