A Kenyan high court on Tuesday (Feb 6) charged cult leader Paul Mackenzie and his 29 associates with the murder of nearly 200 children who were found among hundreds of others from the Shakahola forest, last year.&nbsp;

<h2>What happened in the court?</h2>

The Malindi High Court charged Mackenzie, the head of the Good News International Church and self-proclaimed pastor, who according to prosecutors, ordered his followers in southeastern Kenya to starve themselves and their children to death so that they could go to heaven before the world ended.

Mackenzie and the 29 others pleaded not guilty to the charges which include 191 counts of murder, including of three infants, reported AFP citing court documents. One suspect was found mentally unfit to stand trial.&nbsp;

ALSO READ |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/kenyan-cult-leader-to-face-murder-charges-in-starvation-deaths-680866">Kenyan cult leader to face murder charges in starvation deaths</a>

The incident which emerged last year sent shockwaves across the world and is being dubbed as one of the worst cult-related disasters in recent history.

The alleged leader of a doomsday cult has already been charged with terrorism, manslaughter as well as child torture and cruelty. Mackenzie was arrested last April.&nbsp;

In December, Mackenzie was convicted and sentenced to 12 months in jail for producing and distributing films without a licence.&nbsp;

The trial for the alleged leader of a doomsday cult begins on March 7.&nbsp;

<h2>What we know about the case</h2>

In 2023, more than 400 bodies were uncovered over months of exhumations across tens of thousands of acres of the Shakahola forest in eastern Kenya.&nbsp; 
 
(Trigger warning: Some readers may find details of this report disturbing. Discretion is advised.)

The autopsies later revealed that the majority of the 429 victims had died of hunger, but others, including children, appeared to have been strangled, beaten or suffocated.&nbsp;

According to a chargesheet filed last month at the Tononoka Children’s Court in the city of Mombasa, Mackenzie and 38 other suspects “wilfully and intentionally” denied food to children as young as six years old and whipped others with thorny sticks, reported AFP.&nbsp;

ALSO READ |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/children-were-targetted-to-die-first-in-kenya-doomsday-cult-killings-report-592510">Children were targetted to die first in Kenya doomsday cult killings: Report</a>

Last year, a New York Times report citing a former deputy preacher of the cult, Titus Katana, revealed that there was a methodical plan for mass suicide through starvation and children were the first to perish and were asked to “to fast in the sun so they would die faster”.&nbsp;

Katana also reportedly revealed that children were treated brutally by being shut in huts for five days without food or water.

Mackenzie forbade cult members from sending their children to school and going to the hospital when they were ill, calling such institutions Satanic, reported Reuters citing some of his followers.&nbsp;

(With inputs from agencies)

A Kenyan high court on Tuesday (Feb 6) charged cult leader Paul Mackenzie and his 29 associates with the murder of nearly 200 children who were found among hundreds of others from the Shakahola forest, last year.

A Kenyan high court on Tuesday (Feb 6) charged cult leader Paul Mackenzie and his 29 associates with the murder of nearly 200 children who were found among hundreds of others from the Shakahola forest, last year. What happened in the court? The Malindi High Court charged Mackenzie, the head of the Good News International Church and self-proclaimed pastor, who according to prosecutors, ordered his followers in southeastern Kenya to starve themselves and their children to death so that they could go to heaven before the world ended. Mackenzie and the 29 others pleaded not guilty to the charges which include 191 counts of murder, including of three infants, reported AFP citing court documents. One suspect was found mentally unfit to stand trial. ALSO READ | Kenyan cult leader to face murder charges in starvation deaths The incident which emerged last year sent shockwaves across the world and is being dubbed as one of the worst cult-related disasters in recent history. The alleged leader of a doomsday cult has already been charged with terrorism, manslaughter as well as child torture and cruelty. Mackenzie was arrested last April. In December, Mackenzie was convicted and sentenced to 12 months in jail for producing and distributing films without a licence. The trial for the alleged leader of a doomsday cult begins on March 7. What we know about the case In 2023, more than 400 bodies were uncovered over months of exhumations across tens of thousands of acres of the Shakahola forest in eastern Kenya. (Trigger warning: Some readers may find details of this report disturbing. Discretion is advised.) The autopsies later revealed that the majority of the 429 victims had died of hunger, but others, including children, appeared to have been strangled, beaten or suffocated. According to a chargesheet filed last month at the Tononoka Children’s Court in the city of Mombasa, Mackenzie and 38 other suspects “wilfully and intentionally” denied food to children as young as six years old and whipped others with thorny sticks, reported AFP. ALSO READ | Children were targetted to die first in Kenya doomsday cult killings: Report Last year, a New York Times report citing a former deputy preacher of the cult, Titus Katana, revealed that there was a methodical plan for mass suicide through starvation and children were the first to perish and were asked to “to fast in the sun so they would die faster”. Katana also reportedly revealed that children were treated brutally by being shut in huts for five days without food or water. Mackenzie forbade cult members from sending their children to school and going to the hospital when they were ill, calling such institutions Satanic, reported Reuters citing some of his followers. (With inputs from agencies)

Kenyan doomsday cult leader charged with murder of nearly 200 children

Kenyan investigators on Tuesday (May 9) exhumed 21 more bodies as they resumed a search for followers of a doomsday cult. The latest figures on the bodies exhumed take the death toll to 133. Paul Mackenzie, the notorious cult leader, is among the 16 suspects accused of operating an armed -- and apparently well-fed -- "enforcer gang" tasked with ensuring that no one broke their fast or left their forest hideout alive, investigators said.&nbsp;

Mackenzie is currently in custody. The search operation in the Shakahola forest in southeastern Kenya was suspended for a few days due to bad weather, with hundreds of people still reported missing.

Interior Minister Kithure Kindiki visited the forest where workers wearing hazmat suits and masks were digging up graves. Later addressing a press conference, Kindiki said, "We have many more graves in this forest, and therefore it leads us to conclude that this was a highly organised crime."

ALSO READ | <a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/kenya-who-are-the-two-pastors-facing-court-over-starvation-cult-massacre-588142">Kenya: Who are the two pastors facing trial in court over starvation cult massacre?</a>

While starvation appears to be the main cause of death, some of the victims, including children, were strangled, beaten, or suffocated, chief government pathologist Johansen Oduor said. And as per court documents on Monday, some of the corpses had their organs removed, with police alleging the suspects were engaged in forced harvesting of body parts, the news agency AFP reported.&nbsp;

"Post-mortem reports have established missing organs in some of the bodies of victims who have been exhumed," chief inspector Martin Munene said in an affidavit filed to a Nairobi court. 
 
"It is believed that trade on human body organs has been well coordinated involving several players," he added.&nbsp;

The chief inspector also pointed out Ezekiel Odero, a high-profile televangelist who was arrested in April in connection with the same case and granted bail last Thursday, had received "huge cash transactions," allegedly from Mackenzie's followers who sold their property at the cult leader's bidding.

Meanwhile, Paul Mackenzie's lawyer George Kariuki said that Kariuki was cooperating with the police. Speaking to Reuters, Kariuki said that Mackenzie wanted the investigation not to be "one-sided" by focusing on him, adding police should keep an open mind to unravel the mess.&nbsp;

(With inputs from agencies) 
 
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Kenyan investigators on Tuesday (May 9) exhumed 21 more bodies as they resumed a search for followers of a doomsday cult. The latest figures on the bodies exhumed take the death toll to 133.

Kenyan investigators on Tuesday (May 9) exhumed 21 more bodies as they resumed a search for followers of a doomsday cult. The latest figures on the bodies exhumed take the death toll to 133. Paul Mackenzie, the notorious cult leader, is among the 16 suspects accused of operating an armed -- and apparently well-fed -- "enforcer gang" tasked with ensuring that no one broke their fast or left their forest hideout alive, investigators said. Mackenzie is currently in custody. The search operation in the Shakahola forest in southeastern Kenya was suspended for a few days due to bad weather, with hundreds of people still reported missing. Interior Minister Kithure Kindiki visited the forest where workers wearing hazmat suits and masks were digging up graves. Later addressing a press conference, Kindiki said, "We have many more graves in this forest, and therefore it leads us to conclude that this was a highly organised crime." ALSO READ | Kenya: Who are the two pastors facing trial in court over starvation cult massacre? While starvation appears to be the main cause of death, some of the victims, including children, were strangled, beaten, or suffocated, chief government pathologist Johansen Oduor said. And as per court documents on Monday, some of the corpses had their organs removed, with police alleging the suspects were engaged in forced harvesting of body parts, the news agency AFP reported. "Post-mortem reports have established missing organs in some of the bodies of victims who have been exhumed," chief inspector Martin Munene said in an affidavit filed to a Nairobi court. "It is believed that trade on human body organs has been well coordinated involving several players," he added. The chief inspector also pointed out Ezekiel Odero, a high-profile televangelist who was arrested in April in connection with the same case and granted bail last Thursday, had received "huge cash transactions," allegedly from Mackenzie's followers who sold their property at the cult leader's bidding. Meanwhile, Paul Mackenzie's lawyer George Kariuki said that Kariuki was cooperating with the police. Speaking to Reuters, Kariuki said that Mackenzie wanted the investigation not to be "one-sided" by focusing on him, adding police should keep an open mind to unravel the mess. (With inputs from agencies) WATCH WION LIVE HERE You can now write for wionews.com and be a part of the community. Share your stories and opinions with us here.

Kenya starvation cult massacre: Investigators exhume 21 more bodies, toll rises to 133

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Kenyan doomsday cult leader charged with murder of nearly 200 children

Kenya starvation cult massacre: Investigators exhume 21 more bodies, toll rises to 133