Jakarta –
The number of victims killed in cases of heretical sects Kenya known as the ‘Shakahola Forest Massacre’ increased to 403 people. That number increased after 12 more bodies were found in the Shakahola Forest.
“The death toll is 403,” said Regional Coastal Commissioner Rhoda Onyancha as reported by AFP, Monday (17/7/2023).
The body was found in a ‘grave’ dig in the Shakahola Forest, the location where cult leader Paul Nthenge Mackenzie allegedly urged his followers to starve to death.
“Excavation continues tomorrow,” Onyancha added.
Investigators are continuing to search for more graves in the vicinity. The victims were first found at this location on April 13, some of them were dead and others were still alive but in a weak and emaciated condition.
According to government autopsies, starvation is thought to be the main cause of death, although some of the victims included children strangled or beaten.
Mackenzie, a former taxi driver who later became a preacher, was arrested by the police in mid-April. On July 13, a court in the port city of Mombasa extended his detention by one month pending an investigation.
Prosecutors said Mackenzie faced charges related to terrorism or genocide, but he had not been asked to enter a plea.
The man who claims to be a pastor and father of seven children founded the Good News International Church in 2003.
Questions have been raised about how he managed to evade law enforcement despite his history of extremism and previous legal cases.
Traces of the Mackenzie Case
Mackenzie was found guilty of breaking the law in 2017, when she was accused of urging children to stay out of school and claiming that the Bible does not recognize education.
He was arrested again last March, after two children starved to death in their parents’ custody. However, Mackenzie was later released on bail.
Following the discovery of a mass grave near the Indian Ocean city of Malindi, Mackenzie, his wife and 16 other accused were detained.
The sixteen men are accused of operating an armed ‘law enforcement gang’ tasked with ensuring that no one breaks their fast or leaves their forest hideout alive. They are currently living in prison.
Mackenzie’s wife, who was held for 62 days, was released earlier this month on 100,000 Kenyan shillings ($707) bail.
(lir/may)
2023-07-17 17:15:22
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