Kenya starvation cult leader pleads not guilty to manslaughter
Aug 13, 2024
Mombasa [Kenya], August 13: 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.
Mackenzie was arrested last April after 429 bodies, including children, were dug up from a grave site in Shakahola, a remote forest about two hours' drive west 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. (Agencies)
Source: Qatar Tribune
