The leader of a Kenyan doomsday cult went on trial Monday, facing terrorism charges linked to the deaths of over 400 of his followers in a case that shocked the world. Surprisingly, among the victims was Mackenzie’s own son, as revealed by investigations.
Self-proclaimed pastor Paul Nthenge Mackenzie appeared in a crowded courtroom in the port city of Mombasa alongside 94 co-defendants.
Principal Magistrate Leah Juma ordered journalists to leave the court shortly after the hearing began to allow a protected witness to testify on camera.
Mackenzie, arrested in April last year, is accused of inciting his followers to starve themselves to death to “meet Jesus” in one of the world’s deadliest cult-related massacres.
The father of seven, along with his co-accused, pleaded not guilty to terrorism charges in a January hearing.
The 55 men and 40 women also face charges of murder, manslaughter, child torture, and cruelty in separate cases.
So far, the remains of around 450 people have been discovered in a remote area inland from the coastal town of Malindi, a case now referred to as the “Shakahola forest massacre.”
Autopsies indicated that starvation was the primary cause of death, but some victims, including children, were strangled, beaten, or suffocated. Previous court documents also revealed that some bodies had their organs removed.