Doomsday cult preacher Paul Mackenzie contacted his followers whereas in jail and satisfied them to starve themselves to loss of life in a fasting ritual, preliminary police investigations point out.
Greater than 450 graves had been found within the Shakahola Forest, Malindi, in 2023, for members of Mackenzie’s church.
Police are presently investigating the deaths of an extra 34 folks. A complete of 102 completely different physique elements had been additionally discovered through the exhumations, with the our bodies buried in graves lower than a foot deep.
Police had been referred to as to the positioning of the graves within the Kwa Binzaro forest, lower than 19 miles from the Shakahola Forest, in July this yr.
Autopsies have been carried out on all of the our bodies, six of them kids. Two adults had been discovered to have died from blows to the pinnacle, however the reason for the opposite deaths couldn’t be decided attributable to extreme decomposition.
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Self-styled prophetess Sharleen Temba Anido is claimed to have performed a key position in reviving Mackenzie’s radical teachings. Pic: Sky Information
This manipulation is claimed to have been aimed toward stopping those that had not been charged in reference to the 2023 Shakahola deaths from testifying in opposition to him in associated felony circumstances.
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From August: Mortuary staff carry the stays of one other sufferer exhumed close to Kwa Binzaro village, within the huge Chakama Ranch
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Mortuary staff carry the stays believed to be a toddler exhumed close to Kwa Binzaro village, within the huge Chakama Ranch
In response to the affidavit, Mackenzie delivered “radical extremism, end-time and/or cultic teachings to them through calls… culminating in their being escorted by his associates to a homestead in Binzaro village and directed to fast inside rooms that were locked and guarded from the outside”.
Police filed this affidavit to safe a search warrant for Mackenzie’s cell at Shimo La Tewa excessive safety jail, in an effort to search out the cell phone he allegedly used to proceed preaching to his followers.
Testimonies beforehand launched by police say Mackenzie informed his followers “the fast would count only if they gathered together, and offered them his farm as a fasting venue”.
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Suspects arrested over the cult deaths within the Kwa Binzaro forest, throughout their courtroom listening to on the Malindi Regulation Courts. Pic: Sky Information
“They were not to mingle with anyone from the ‘outside’ world if they wanted to go to heaven and were to destroy all documents given by the government, including national IDs and birth certificates,” police stated.
Officers additionally stated Mackenzie employed criminals armed with weapons to kill followers who modified their minds about fasting and needed to go away, together with those that took too lengthy to die.
He has been in custody since 2023 and faces a bunch of fees, together with terrorism, youngster cruelty and homicide. He has beforehand pleaded not responsible to manslaughter.
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4 folks, believed to have been involved with Mackenzie, are presently in custody over the Binzaro village deaths.
Sharleen Temba Anido, Kahindi Kazungu Garama, Thomas Mukonwe, and James Kazungu are stated to have organised a “holy safari to see Jesus”.
They escaped from Shakahola forest however are actually accused of reviving Mackenzie’s radical teachings.
