February 12, 2024
1 min read

Kenyan cult leader charged with killing 191 children

Autopsies revealed that the majority of the 429 victims had died of hunger. But others, including children, appeared to have been strangled, beaten, or suffocated…reports Asian Lite News

Kenyan cult leader Paul NthengeMackenzie and 29 associates were on Tuesday charged with the murder of 191 children whose bodies were found among hundreds of people buried in a forest.

The defendants all denied the charges brought before a court in the coastal town of Malindi near the Indian Ocean. One suspect was found mentally unfit to stand trial and has been ordered to return to the Malindi High Court in a month.

Prosecutors said Mackenzie ordered his followers to starve themselves and their children to death so that they could go to heaven before the world ended, in one of the world’s worst cult-related disasters in recent history.

The former taxi driver turned self-proclaimed pastor has already been charged with “terrorism”, manslaughter as well as child torture and cruelty. He was arrested in April last year after bodies were found in the Shakahola forest.

Autopsies revealed that the majority of the 429 victims had died of hunger. But others, including children, appeared to have been strangled, beaten, or suffocated.

The case, dubbed the “Shakahola forest massacre”, led the government to flag the need for tighter control of fringe denominations. A largely Christian nation, Kenya has struggled to regulate unscrupulous churches and cults that dabble in criminality.

Following this, the investigators alleged that the cult was preparing for the end of the world under the instructions of Mackenzie.

He has remained in custody since last April as investigators spent months combing the forest for evidence.

Later, the autopsy results showed that many of the recovered bodies had died from starvation while others had signs of blunt trauma and strangulation, as reported by CNN.

However, last month, a court threatened to release Mackenzie if the state prosecutor did not bring charges against him.

Prosecutors replied that they faced a lengthy process to identify victims through DNA due to the severe decomposition of the majority of bodies.

ALSO READ-Cabinet Okays MoU With Kenya on Digital Solutions

Previous Story

Haley attacks Trump after he mocks her

Next Story

Ukraine aid package clears Senate procedural vote  

Latest from AFRICA NEWS

Huge crowds as Odinga’s body heads home

Chaos and grief mark final journey of opposition leader Raila Odinga as thousands gather in western Kenya for mourning ceremonies that have already left at least five dead this week Vast crowds

Africa Braces For Trade Shock  

End of US-Africa trade pact threatens thousands of jobs and exports as tariffs loom African manufacturers and workers are bracing for a major economic shock as the United States prepares to end

UAE and Africa unite for tourism boom

UAE-Africa Tourism Investment Summit 2025 unites governments, investors, and innovators to strengthen sustainable tourism, infrastructure, and hospitality, unlocking cross-regional economic growth and strategic partnerships….reports Asian Lite News Dubai is set to host

India, Uganda vow deeper ties

Minister of State Kirti Vardhan Singh met Ugandan President Yoweri Museveni on Thursday to discuss strengthening India–Uganda ties….reports Asian Lite News Union Minister of State for External Affairs Kirti Vardhan Singh met

Former Kenyan PM dies in Kerala hospital

Kenya mourns the death of former Prime Minister Raila Odinga, a champion of democracy and cherished friend of India, who passed away in Kerala at 80….reports Asian Lite News Kenya’s former Prime
Go toTop