Pastor Paul Mackenzie and 38 other Shakahola massacre suspects, were today charged before the Tononoka Children court in Mombasa with children related offences.
Most of the suspects are parents of children victims rescued from Shakahola forest who faced charges among them subjecting children to torture, assault, cruelty to children, and infringing a child’s right to education.
They were charged with 17 counts of offences under the Children Act 2012, the Prevention of Torture Act 2017, and the Basic Education Act 2013. These charges include two counts of subjecting a child to torture with an alternative count of assault causing actual bodily harm, nine charges of cruelty to a child, and six counts of infringing a child’s right to education.
All 39 accused persons denied all the charges leveled against them, and were remanded at Shimo La Tewa maximum prison pending hearing of their bail application on February 15, 2024. The accused persons allegedly committed the offences on diverse dates between 2019 and 2023 at Shakahola Forest, Kilifi County.
Pastor Mackenzie and his co-accused will be back in court on February 15, when the bond application will be heard.
On January 23, Mackenzie, together with his wife and 93 other co-accused, were charged with manslaughter at the Mombasa court. They all pleaded not guilty to the 238 counts.
Last week, Mackenzie and his associates were charged with terror-related offenses before Shanzu Court, charges they all denied.