IN response to a court ultimatum, the Kenyan Office of the Director of Public Prosecutions (ODPP) declared on Tuesday that it will file 10 charges against controversial Pastor Paul Mackenzie and 94 others connected to the deadly Shakahola cult. The charges include murder, manslaughter, assault, radicalisation, engaging in organised criminal activity, cruelty to a child, facilitating the commission of a terrorist act, and child torture.
Director of Public Prosecutions Renson Mulele Ingonga stated, ‘Upon thorough analysis of the evidence, the DPP is satisfied that there is sufficient evidence to prosecute ninety-five (95) suspects with the charges listed.’ The decision comes as a response to the court’s demand for either charging or releasing the accused.
Mulele has ordered the swift arraignment of the suspects before both the High Court and subordinate courts, emphasising a prompt legal process. The Shakahola Forest in Kilifi County, where hundreds of corpses were discovered last April, has been a central focus of investigations into Mackenzie’s Good News International Church.
The death toll attributed to the Shakahola cult exceeded 400 by the end of 2023. Mackenzie is alleged to have instructed his followers to starve themselves to death, promising salvation before the supposed end of the world. The bodies were found buried in shallow graves on an 800-acre area in Shakahola.
Investigations have unveiled disturbing details, with some victims discovered to have missing organs, raising suspicions of a potential human organ trafficking syndicate operating within the cult. The charges underscore the severity of the allegations and the need for a comprehensive legal examination of the Shakahola cult’s activities.