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Shakahola Forest Massacre: Pastor Mackenzie Faces Court Again

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Israel Ojoko
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Pastor Paul Mackenzie Nthege, leader of a doomsday cult, faces charges in the Shakahola forest massacre case, where over 200 bodies have been exhumed.  <br> Image Credit: Ministry of Interior/Twitter.

Controversial pastor Paul Mackenzie Nthege will appear in court today for a second time after being arrested in connection with the Shakahola forest massacre, where more than 200 bodies have been exhumed so far.

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Leader of a Doomsday Cult

Mackenzie Nthege is the self-proclaimed leader of the Good News International Church, a Christian doomsday cult that allegedly encouraged its followers to starve themselves to death in order to meet Jesus faster. He moved his followers to an 800-acre land in the Shakahola forest in Kilifi County, eastern Kenya, in 2019, claiming it was a new "Holy Land" and a sanctuary from the approaching apocalypse.

According to survivors, Mackenzie Nthege instructed his followers to fast for several days or weeks, starting from January 2023. He also ordered them to beat their children if they cried or asked for food or water. He said children were supposed to be the first to die, followed by the unmarried, the women, the men, and finally the church leaders.

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Ongoing Investigation and Rescue

The police launched an investigation on April 21, 2023, after receiving a tip-off that Mackenzie Nthege's land contained mass graves. They have since recovered 89 bodies from the site, most of them children. They have also rescued 34 people who were hiding under trees and bushes in the forest, some of them very weak and traumatized.

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The Kenya Red Cross said more than 250 people had been reported missing by their relatives in the coastal town of Malindi, where a local morgue has been overwhelmed by the number of bodies. The police said they expect the death toll to rise as they continue to search the area.

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The prosecution is expected to ask for more time to complete its investigations today, as Mackenzie Nthege faces charges of murder, kidnapping, and abuse of office. He was denied bail last week over fears that he might interfere with the evidence. His lawyer said he has not been formally charged yet and declined to comment on the allegations against him.

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kenya Survivors shakahola mackenzie
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