Kenyan cult leader Paul Mackenzie, along with his wife and 93 alleged accomplices, has been charged with 238 counts of manslaughter. These additional charges follow last week’s terrorism charges against Mackenzie and his suspected associates.
The accusations stem from Mackenzie’s alleged encouragement of members of the Good News International Church to relocate to Shakahola, a remote forest in coastal Kenya, with the intent of starving to death to “meet Jesus.”
The discovery of 429 bodies, including children, in grave sites within the forest revealed signs of starvation, with indications that some, including children, may have been assaulted.
The 238 victims were reportedly killed at unspecified dates between January 2021 and September 2023 in Shakahola, according to court documents cited by local media.
During their appearance in a Mombasa court on Tuesday, Mackenzie and the other suspects pleaded not guilty. Mackenzie has been in custody since his arrest in April of the previous year.