Paul Mackenzie, chief of the Good Information Worldwide Church, was accused of ordering his followers to starve their youngsters and themselves to loss of life.
The variety of victims of a starvation cult in Kenya’s Shakahola forest has risen to 201 after 22 extra our bodies had been recovered, in line with a regional governmental official.
“Our forensic crew was in a position to exhume 22 our bodies at the moment, however we’ve not reported any rescue,” Rhodah Onyancha, a regional commissioner, informed journalists on Saturday.
All through this week authorities have been digging up shallow graves scattered by way of the forest on the lookout for stays and scouring the realm for any survivors as a whole bunch of persons are nonetheless reported lacking.
Paul Mackenzie, chief of the Good Information Worldwide Church, was accused of ordering his followers to starve their youngsters and themselves to loss of life so they might go to heaven earlier than the top of the world, which he predicted to be on April 15.
The taxi driver-turned-preacher was denied bail on Wednesday by a Kenyan court docket.
Onyancha mentioned yet another suspect had additionally been arrested, bringing the whole variety of these detained over the deaths to 26.
On Friday, 29 our bodies had been unearthed, together with these of 12 youngsters which had been present in one grave.
Kenyan President William Ruto appointed a commission of inquiry into the deaths of greater than 100 individuals believed to have starved themselves to loss of life, whereas a court docket ordered that the cult chief stay in jail.
The fee of inquiry will study whether or not administrative or intelligence lapses contributed to the deaths.
Presidential spokesman Hussein Mohamed mentioned Ruto had additionally appointed a activity pressure to overview rules governing non secular organisations.
Mackenzie has not commented publicly on the accusations towards him nor has he been required to enter a plea to any felony cost. His lawyer George Kariuki informed the press on Tuesday that his consumer may face “attainable terrorism prices”.
Mackenzie appeared in court docket within the port metropolis of Mombasa on Friday, the place prosecutors requested a decide to carry him for a further 90 days as their investigation continued.
The decide mentioned he would ship a ruling subsequent Wednesday on the prosecution’s request and ordered that Mackenzie stay in custody till then.
Mackenzie, who was sporting a black and pink jacket and holding his two-year-old daughter through the listening to, informed journalists on the court docket that he and a few of his supporters had been being refused meals in jail.
Prosecutors denied this and his lawyer had informed the press on Tuesday that his consumer was consuming.
