Kenya starvation cult leader pleads not guilty
The leader of a Kenyan cult who allegedly encouraged over 400 followers to starve themselves to death has pleaded not guilty to manslaughter, in one of the worst ever cases of cult-related mass deaths.
Self-proclaimed pastor Paul Mackenzie appeared in court in the coastal city of Mombasa alongside 94 other suspects on Monday.
Mr Mackenzie was arrested last April after 429 bodies, including children, were dug up from mass graves in Shakahola, a remote forest about two hours’ drive west of the town of Malindi. Most of the bodies showed signs of starvation and assault.
“There has never been a manslaughter case like this in Kenya,” prosecutor Alexander Jami Yamina told AFP.
The prosecution say over 400 witnesses will testify over the next four days.
Mr Yamina said the case was unique in Kenya, and the suspects would be prosecuted under a law relating to suicide pacts.
When the case broke last year Kenyans were shocked and horrified that people could willingly starve themselves to death. It became known as the “Shakahola Forest Massacre”.
—BBC
