Paul Nthenge Mackenzie, the preacher in a Kenyan cult suspected of urging followers to starve themselves to death, and 95 accomplices were charged with murder in the Shakahola massacre. ALSO READ: Kenyan cult deaths hit 226 as 15 more bodies exhumed The tragic event that broke out in May 2023, claiming the lives of 429 individuals, is now at the forefront of legal proceedings following extensive investigations and evidence analysis. According to media reports, the Office of the Director of Public Prosecution (ODPP) in Kenya, on January 16, outlined various charges against Mackenzie and his accomplices who were among his followers. ALSO READ: Calls grow for communities to be cautious about religious cults These include murder under the Kenyan Penal Code (Section 203), assault causing bodily harm (Section 251), contraventions of the Prevention of Terrorism Act and Prevention of Organized Crimes Act, and manslaughter accusations (Section 202 with 205). “Upon perusal of all the inquiry files and thorough analysis of the evidence, the ODPP is satisfied that there is sufficient evidence to charge all the 95 suspects who are currently in custody with the following offences,” read the statement released by the prosecution. Furthermore, the suspects face accusations of radicalisation under Section 12D of the Prevention of Terrorism Act of 2012. ALSO READ: Local clerics weigh in following Kenyan starvation cult Mackenzie was previously sentenced to a year and a half in prison on December 1, 2023, for illegally distributing unrated films during his radical sermons. He also received a six-month sentence for operating a film studio without a valid license. The Shakahola massacre sparked outrage and grief across Kenya and the region. The taxi driver-turned-preacher is accused of inciting acolytes to fast to death “to meet Jesus” in the forest hideout of a group called the Good News International Church, located near the Indian Ocean town of Malindi.
