Mackenzie detained for 30days
Shanzu Magistrate court has decided that controversial Malindi-based Pastor Paul Nthenge Mackenzie and 17 other accused must remain in police prison for a another 30 days.
The 30-day hold starts on May 3.
Since his arrest last month, the suspect, who is being held in connection with the murders of more than 100 people who allegedly starved to death in Shakahola forest, has been in custody.
Mackenzie detained for 30days
To keep Mackenzie and 17 other people in custody for another 90 days, the Office of the Director of Criminal Investigation (ODPP) submitted an application last week to Shanzu Senior Principal Magistrate Yusuf Shikanda.
The 14-day period that they had initially been given by a Malindi court to hold Mackenzie and his co-accused, according to senior principal prosecution counsel Jami Yamina, proved to be egregiously insufficient due to the evolving nature of the case and the lines of inquiry that are being pursued.
He informed the court that additional time was required to complete the investigation of Mackenzie and his fellow Good News International Church members.
They are facing serious crimes of murder, counselling and aiding persons to kill themselves, aiding suicide, abduction, radicalisation, genocide, crimes against humanity, child cruelty, fraud and money laundering.
In order to give police time to finish their investigations, a Malindi preacher who has been in the news for allegedly inciting his followers to fast till death will remain in detention for an additional 14 days.
Pastor Paul Nthenge Makenzi of the Good News International church appeared before Malindi Chief Magistrate Elizabeth Usui on Monday afternoon, but he was not compelled to enter a plea since the prosecution wanted to keep him in custody for an additional 30 days.
Makenzi will be detained for 14 days together with six of his supporters, and seven other individuals—whom the prosecution referred to as victims since they had refused to eat even while in police detention—will be detained for seven days in order to receive counseling.