After 277 days behind bars, the state has finally pressed charges against cultist Paul Mackenzie over the deaths of 429 people whose bodies were exhumed from the expansive Shakahola forests. Wednesday, at Malindi High Court, Mackenzie and 30 other co-accused persons will be the first to be arraigned on the charge of murder. In the nine-month investigation, the DCI was able to directly link Mackenzie and 30 others to the deaths of 238 children who were exhumed from Shakahola. At least 21 suspects who are being held together with Mackenzie, failed to account for the whereabouts of their children, court records show. The decision to charge Mackenzie and his co-accused comes exactly one week after the Shanzu court threatened to release them if the state failed to charge them within two weeks.

Source: The Star January 17, 2024 06:18 UTC