A self-proclaimed preacher in Kenya linked to a starvation cult that killed more than 400 people will be charged over a further 52 deaths at another village, prosecutors said on Monday.
In a case that made global headlines when it came to light in 2023, hundreds of people died in what became known as the "Shakahola Forest Massacre", discovered in the Kenyan coastal town of Malindi.
Self-proclaimed pastor Paul Mackenzie has pleaded not guilty to multiple counts of manslaughter at his trial in Mombasa city and has remained in custody.
But last year, Kenya was shocked by the discovery of yet more bodies in the remote village of Binzaro, around 30 kilometres from Shakahola along the Indian Ocean coast.
'Radical teachings'
It appeared to show that the same cult had continued to operate even after the first massacre site was discovered and Mackenzie arrested.
In a statement on X, the Office of the Director of Public Prosecutions (ODPP) said a Malindi court had given its go-ahead to "formally charge Good News International Church leader Paul Nthenge Mackenzie and his co-accused over the deaths of 52 people at the Binzaro homestead in Kilifi County."
Mackenzie and others will be charged with a raft of offences, including radicalisation, "facilitation of terrorist acts", and murder over the more recent killings, adding to his charges related to Shakahola.
The prosecution told the court Mackenzie was "reasonably suspected to have masterminded" the incidents, saying he used "radical teachings... to lure victims" to the remote village.
Mobile money transactions
The statement said investigators "recovered handwritten notes from (prison) cells occupied by Mackenzie, allegedly detailing transactions conducted through mobile phones."
Last year, as around 34 bodies and more than 100 body parts were discovered by investigators at Binzaro, residents said the powerful cult had not been suppressed.
Mackenzie, a former taxi driver, has been accused in previous Shakahola trials of inciting his followers to starve themselves to "meet Jesus", using enforcers to ensure no one left the forest hideout alive.
