- Dec 27, 2016
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DISTRESSING CONTENT.
* More than 600 men, women and children are missing with over two hundred bodies found across 30 mass graves in the Shakahola Forest. Most of the initial 101 bodies found were children with autopsies revealing they died of starvation, strangulation and blunt force trauma.
Kenyan authorities say the dead were members of the Good News International Church with some believed to be linked to the New Life Prayer Centre and Church.
A former follower of Good News, Titus Katana, told AFP that there was a "fasting schedule" with a plan for children and single people to starve first before women and then men.
"Mackenzie and his family would go last," he added, sketching out a timeline that appears to be supported by the fact that more than half the corpses found so far belonged to children.
Mr Katana said the devotees had sold their properties, houses and factories "because they were coming to the wilderness to wait for Jesus in Shakahola forest".
Two pastors have now been charged in relation to the deaths — Mr Mackenzie and a prominent televangelist he has been linked to, Ezekiel Odero.
Mr Odero is the head of the New Life Prayer Centre and Church and was arrested last Thursday.
Mr Mackenzie has been accused of murder, kidnapping, cruelty and other crimes, in court documents viewed by AFP.
Prosecutors say he will also face terrorism charges at the high court in Kenya's second-largest city of Mombasa, after the case was mentioned Malindi on Tuesday.
Mr Odero is also expected to face the high court, accused of murder, aiding suicide, abduction, radicalisation, crimes against humanity, child cruelty, fraud and money laundering.
Prosecutors have linked Mr Odero and Mr Mackenzie, saying in court documents that they share a "history of business investments" including a television station used to pass "radicalised messages" to followers.
www.abc.net.au
* More than 600 men, women and children are missing with over two hundred bodies found across 30 mass graves in the Shakahola Forest. Most of the initial 101 bodies found were children with autopsies revealing they died of starvation, strangulation and blunt force trauma.
Kenyan authorities say the dead were members of the Good News International Church with some believed to be linked to the New Life Prayer Centre and Church.
A former follower of Good News, Titus Katana, told AFP that there was a "fasting schedule" with a plan for children and single people to starve first before women and then men.
"Mackenzie and his family would go last," he added, sketching out a timeline that appears to be supported by the fact that more than half the corpses found so far belonged to children.
Mr Katana said the devotees had sold their properties, houses and factories "because they were coming to the wilderness to wait for Jesus in Shakahola forest".
Two pastors have now been charged in relation to the deaths — Mr Mackenzie and a prominent televangelist he has been linked to, Ezekiel Odero.
Mr Odero is the head of the New Life Prayer Centre and Church and was arrested last Thursday.
Mr Mackenzie has been accused of murder, kidnapping, cruelty and other crimes, in court documents viewed by AFP.
Prosecutors say he will also face terrorism charges at the high court in Kenya's second-largest city of Mombasa, after the case was mentioned Malindi on Tuesday.
Mr Odero is also expected to face the high court, accused of murder, aiding suicide, abduction, radicalisation, crimes against humanity, child cruelty, fraud and money laundering.
Prosecutors have linked Mr Odero and Mr Mackenzie, saying in court documents that they share a "history of business investments" including a television station used to pass "radicalised messages" to followers.
What we know about the Kenyan cult case and the pastors allegedly behind it
The bodies of more than 100 people have been found in the Shakahola forest since police began searching the area in east Kenya.
www.abc.net.au
