By Joe Udo
KILIFI (CONVERSEER) – A self-proclaimed Kenyan preacher, Paul Mackenzie, has been charged over the deaths of at least 52 more people, in a case linked to one of the world’s deadliest cult-related tragedies.
The charges were filed on Wednesday, according to Kenya’s Office of the Director of Public Prosecutions, and relate to deaths reported in the Kwa Binzaro area in Chakama, Kilifi County.
Mackenzie is already facing multiple counts of manslaughter in connection with the 2023 Shakahola Forest tragedy, where more than 400 bodies were discovered in shallow graves near the coastal town of Malindi. The incident, widely referred to as the “Shakahola Forest Massacre”, drew international condemnation and shocked the global community.
In the latest development, prosecutors said Mackenzie and others have been charged with organised criminal activity, two counts of radicalisation, and two counts of facilitating the commission of a terrorist act.
In a statement posted on X, the prosecution office stated that the accused persons “are alleged to have promoted an extreme belief system by preaching against the authority of the government, adopted an extreme belief system against authority, and facilitated the commission of a terrorist act.”
The new charges stem from the discovery of additional bodies last year in the remote village of Binzaro, approximately 30 kilometres from Shakahola along Kenya’s Indian Ocean coast. Authorities believe the group’s activities may have continued even after Mackenzie’s arrest in connection with the earlier mass deaths.
Mackenzie has pleaded not guilty to the new charges. He had previously denied multiple counts of manslaughter in the ongoing trial in Mombasa, where he has remained in custody.
The next court hearing in the latest case has been scheduled for March 4.
The tragedy has reignited debate in Kenya over religious regulation in the predominantly Christian country. Previous attempts by authorities to introduce stricter oversight of religious institutions have faced strong opposition, with critics arguing that such measures undermine constitutional protections guaranteeing the separation of Church and state.
The case continues to unfold as investigators seek to establish the full extent of the alleged cult network and its operations along the Kenyan coast.
