Mackenzie was arrested in April last year following the discovery of mass graves, with most victims showing signs of starvation, and some, including children, potentially subjected to assault.

Prosecutors intend to charge Mackenzie, along with 94 others, with offenses ranging from murder and manslaughter to terrorism and torture. However, the court in Malindi grants a 14-day extension for mental health evaluations for Mackenzie and 30 other suspects to determine their fitness to stand trial.

In a shocking case that gained global attention, 429 bodies, including those of children, were unearthed from grave sites in Shakahola, a remote forest near Malindi, in April 2023.

The slow progress in the legal proceedings raises concerns among Kenyans, given the magnitude of the discovery.

Allegedly leading the doomsday cult, Mackenzie purportedly encouraged members of the Good News International Church to relocate to Shakahola and prepare for an impending apocalypse. Witnesses claim that fasting instructions were given in January last year to facilitate the followers’ journey to “heaven.”

Mackenzie, however, disclaims responsibility for the deaths, asserting that he closed his church in 2019. In November, he received a 12-month prison sentence for unauthorized film production and distribution, a decision his lawyer plans to appeal.

The cult leader and his co-accused also face terrorism charges in a separate case in Mombasa. The next hearing is scheduled for 6 February.

• ‘My wife and six children followed Pastor Mackenzie’
• What did cult leader Paul Mackenzie preach?

Bang News