Just In : Pastor Arrested for deceiving over 400 church members to starve to death to meet Jesus
In a shocking turn of events, self-proclaimed pastor Paul Nthenge Mackenzie, the leader of a starvation cult, has been arrested and charged with terrorism by the Kenyan Court.
The charges also include “organised criminal activity,” as revealed in documents from the Mombasa court.
Mackenzie, along with 94 other suspects, pleaded “not guilty” to charges of radicalisation.
The cult leader stands accused of inciting over 400 of his followers to starve to death, all in the misguided pursuit of “meeting Jesus,” a case that has sent waves of horror across the world.
Kanu, threaten to sue Kenyan government The Kenyan judge overseeing the case has ordered Mackenzie and 30 associates to undergo mental health evaluations before facing charges related to the murder of 191 children. These young victims had their bodies exhumed from the Shakahola forest since last April.
Prosecutors are set to charge a total of 95 individuals on counts of murder, manslaughter, terrorism, and torture. Mackenzie’s lawyer, who has maintained that the pastor is cooperating with the investigation, stated that he has been in custody since the police began unearthing bodies in the forest.
During a recent hearing in the coastal town of Malindi, a judge granted a prosecution request to conduct mental health assessments for the 31 defendants before formal charges are filed, allowing them to enter pleas in two weeks. Mackenzie, seemingly unfazed, sat alongside his fellow defendants in the courtroom.
Delays in bringing charges have been attributed to the challenging task of locating, exhuming, and autopsying a large number of human remains. Some of Mackenzie’s followers were rescued, emaciated, from the forest.
