Interior Cabinet Secretary Kithure Kindiki says it is possible to charge Pastor Paul Mackenzie with genocide.
The CS promised harsh punishment to pastor Mackenzie for radicalizing locals in Kilifi to starve to death.
This follows the incident where Pastor Paul Mackenzie Nthenge of the Good News International Church is said to have instructed his congregants to starve themselves to “meet Jesus”.
As for Tuesday, April 25 afternoon, 89 bodies had been exhumed from shallow graves deep inside Shakahola forest on land said to be owned by the pastor.
“We are doing everything possible to ensure that Mackenzie gets the harshest punishment. I am impressed that the Director of Public Prosecutions has indicated that he is exploring charging him and his associates with terrorism but that is not enough,” Kindiki noted while on a visit to Shakahola forest scene.
“It is also possible to charge Mackenzie with genocide because of the magnitude of this crime,” he said, “we are exploring all the (legal) books available.” CS added.
Nonetheless, police officers have spent several days scouring the Shakahola forest looking for survivors of the cult.
This was after they received a tip-off about the cult led by Paul Mackenzie Nthenge, who is currently in police custody.
Moreover, three children were among the 10 bodies exhumed from shallow graves on Tuesday, April 25 while two survivors were found emaciated.
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Likewise, officials at the Malindi Sub-County Hospital have warned that the morgue was running out of space to store the bodies and is already operating well over capacity.
“The hospital mortuary has a capacity of 40 bodies,” said the hospital’s administrator Said Ali.
Ali further reported that they had reached out to the Kenya Red Cross for refrigerated containers.
Furthermore, it is believed that some followers of the Good News International Church could still be hiding in the Shakahola forest.
The Shakahola Massacre has sent shockwaves through the country, with President William Ruto to pledging a crackdown on “unacceptable” religious movements. The head of state compared them to terrorists.
Moreover, questions have emerged about how the cult was able to operate unnoticed despite Mackenzie Nthenge attracting police attention six years ago.
Mackenzie was arrested in 2017 on charges of radicalization after he urged families not to send their children to school, saying education was not recognized by the Bible.
He was also arrested last month, after two children starved to death in custody of their parents but was released on bail of 100,000 Kenyan shillings before surrendering to police following the Shakahola raid.
Mackenzie’s case is set to be heard on May 2.
