Kenya files 191 child murder charges against cult leader who asked followers to fast until they died

Paul Nthenge Mackenzie, leader of an evangelical cult in Kenya, who incited his followers to fast until they starved to "find Jesus," was charged with the "murder" of 191 children last Tuesday by the Malindi High Court. These charges come in addition to those already pending against him for "torture," "cruelty" and "manslaughter." Mackenzie has been in prison since April 2023, when the remains of more than 400 people were discovered buried in the Shakahola forest.

Starved, strangled to death, beaten and suffocated

According to autopsies, most of the victims died of starvation, while others, including children, were reportedly strangled, beaten or suffocated. The murder charges stem from these cases, while those who died of starvation were considered "involuntary manslaughter," AFP reports.

The pastor and the other 29 defendants pleaded "not guilty" to the murder charge, and reiterated their innocence in the face of the "terrorism" charges hanging over them, among others. The authorities divided the accusation against the pastor in four aspects (terrorism, crimes against minors, murder, involuntary manslaughter) which were distributed among four courts: three in Mombasa and one in Malindi, which is in the southeast of the country. At this moment, the Kenyan justice system has not confirmed if there will be a single trial or four different ones.