The leader of a Kenyan doomsday cult was on Monday arraigned over charges of terrorism involving the deaths of more than 400 of his followers.
Recall that the macabre case shocked the country and the world over 400 of his followers starved to death.
According to AFP, the self-proclaimed pastor Paul Nthenge Mackenzie appeared in court in the Indian Ocean port city of Mombasa. He was arraigned along with 94 co-defendants.
The report stated that journalists were removed from the courtroom shortly after the start of the hearing. This was to enable a protected witness to take the stand.
“Mackenzie, who was arrested in April 2023, is alleged to have incited his acolytes to starve to death in order to “meet Jesus”.
“He and his co-accused all pleaded not guilty to the charges of terrorism at a hearing in January.
“They also face charges of murder, manslaughter, kidnapping, and child torture and cruelty in separate cases.
According to report, “The remains of more than 440 people have been unearthed so far in a remote wilderness inland from the Indian Ocean coastal town of Malindi, in a case that has been dubbed the “Shakahola forest massacre”.
“Autopsies carried out on 100 bodies found that starvation appeared to be the main cause of death. While some of the victims — including children — were strangled, beaten, or suffocated.
“Previous court documents also said that some of the bodies had had their organs removed.
However, by the time of this report, the outcome of the court hearing has not been disclosed.
source: AFP
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