Self-proclaimed pastor Paul Nthenge Mackenzie, along with 94 others, has been formally charged with terrorism in connection with the deaths of 429 individuals.
Appearing in a magistrates’ court in the coastal city of Mombasa, all the defendants vehemently denied the charges. Additionally, charges related to child torture and assault are slated to be presented in a separate court hearing.
Mackenzie, who claims the title of pastor, has been in custody since April. The arrest took place after numerous bodies were discovered in mass graves in a remote forest approximately two hours’ drive from the coast. The victims, exhibiting signs of starvation, included children who may have suffered assault.
The prosecution contends that Mackenzie urged followers from his Good News International Church to relocate to Shakahola forest, ostensibly to prepare for an impending apocalypse. A witness informed the BBC that in January of the previous year, instructions were issued for fasting to facilitate the believers’ journey to “heaven.”
Mackenzie, however, denies responsibility for the deaths, asserting that he closed his church in 2019.
The defense’s plea for bail has been redirected to another court.
