Kenyan Controversial Pastor Paul Mackenzie Might Be Taken To ICC Over Massacre

By Samuel Ouma [caption id="attachment_105936" align="alignnone" width="1000"] Paul Mackenzie[/caption] Kenya's Interior Cabinet Secretary, Prof. Kithure Kindiki, has proposed that controversial preacher Paul Mackenzie be charged with terrorism and genocide for his bizarre doctrinal beliefs, which caused his followers to fast till death. Kindiki made the remarks while touring Shakahola forest on Tuesday to examine the situation on the ground as the effort to exhume the bodies of Mackenzie's 'brainwashed' followers entered its fifth day. Mackenzie's actions, according to Kindiki, amount to genocide, and the priest should be taken to the International Criminal Court (ICC) to answer for his crimes. "We are doing everything possible to ensure that Mackenzie gets the harshest punishment," said Prof. Kindiki. "It is also possible to charge Mackenzie with genocide because of the magnitude of this crime," he added. By the time this article was published, 17 additional remains had been exhumed, bringing the death toll to 90, while three persons had also been rescued. Children were among the 17 victims unearthed when rescue exhumed their bones from shallow graves and discovered malnourished survivors. After receiving a tip about a cult led by Paul Mackenzie Nthenge, who urged his members to starve to death to find God, police spent days investigating the Shakahola forest near the seaside town of Malindi. Investigators revealed that they discovered victims crammed into tiny holes — up to six people in one grave — while others were just left outside on the ground. Several Good News International Church members are suspected to be hiding in the bush surrounding Shakahola and face death if they are not caught soon. As Kenyan officials try to determine the exact scope of the "Shakahola Forest Massacre," doubts have arisen regarding how the cult could function unnoticed despite Nthenge's arrest six years ago. The televangelist was apprehended in 2017 on allegations of radicalization after encouraging families not to send their children to school, claiming that the Bible does not recognize education. The pastor was arrested again in March of this year after two children died of starvation while in his custody. He was released on Ksh10,000 ($73.7) bail before surrendering to police during the Shakahola raid. The case is scheduled for a hearing on May 2. The Kenya Red Cross said 212 persons were reported missing to its Malindi support workers, with two being restored with their families.