On Friday, a court in Kenya granted police five additional days to detain a pastor facing possible terrorism-related charges in the deaths of more than a hundred of his congregants, the majority of whom are believed to have suffocated to death.
Last month, police rescued 15 malnourished parishioners from Paul Mackenzie’s 800-acre Kilifi County property. Four of them passed away in the hospital, and survivors told investigators that the pastor had instructed them to fast to death before the end of the world so they could meet Jesus.
Authorities have stated that a survey of Mackenzie’s property in a remote forested area revealed more than 100 bodies and dozens of mass graves. According to autopsies that had already been conducted, some of the buried individuals had perished from starvation, strangulation, or suffocation.
Mackenzie was detained two weeks ago on suspicion of cult ties. This week, a subordinate court released him, but he was re-arrested and brought before a higher court. The police stated that their investigations revealed indicators of radicalization.
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The court that ordered Mackenzie to be detained for an additional five days is contemplating a request for an additional ninety days of detention.
In 2019 and March of this year, the pastor was arrested twice in connection with the deaths of minors. Both times he was released on surety, and those cases are still pending before the court.
Friday, Kenyan President William Ruto established a committee to investigate the fatalities.
Ruto tasked the committee with determining the causes of death, identifying any other individuals or organizations that may be liable, and developing recommendations.
The Kenya Film and Classification Board, the country’s broadcast regulator, issued a warning in 2017 about content aired by Mackenzie that could promote radicalization. The former chairman of the board, Ezekiel Mutua, told local media that the content was removed from the air and law enforcement was notified.
Last week, Ezekiel Odero, another pastor in the same county, was arrested in connection with the fatalities of congregants at his coastal megachurch. A court ruled on Thursday that Odero could be released from prison if he posted a bond of 3 million Kenyan shillings (approximately $22,000) or cash bail of 1.5 million shillings (approximately $11,000).
After Odero’s arrest, his attorneys acknowledged that 15 people had died at his church but stated that the deaths had been reported to the police as mandated by law. According to police, there was no evidence to suggest a crime occurred at the time.
The pastor’s connections to Mackenzie, from whom he purchased a television channel in 2019, remain under investigation.
Kenya’s national communications authority suspended Odero’s television channel last week for broadcasting objectionable content on exorcism during hours when a ban was in effect.
