Pastor Paul Mackenzie and 38 Other Shakahola Massacre Suspects Charged in Court
Source: X/@ODPP_KE
Pastor Paul Mackenzie and 38 other Shakahola massacre suspects, who are parents of children victims rescued from Shakahola forest, were today charged before the Tononoka Children Court in Mombasa with children-related offences such as 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 levelled against them, and they were remanded at Shimo La Tewa prison pending the hearing of their bail application on 15th February 2024. The accused persons allegedly committed the offences on unknown dates between 2019 and 2023 at Shakahola Forest, Kilifi County.
The prosecution, led by Deputy Director of Public Prosecution, Mr Victor Mule; Senior Assistant Director of Public Prosecution, Mr Peter Kiprop; Assistant Director of Public Prosecution Jami Yamina; Principal Prosecution Counsels Victor Owiti and Betty Rubia; and Prosecution Counsels Eunice Odongo and Biasha Khalifa, is opposed to the release of the accused persons on bail or bond.
Earlier, on January 23, Pastor Paul Nthege Mackenzie and 94 others were today charged before the Chief Magistrate Court in Mombasa with 238 counts of manslaughter contrary to Section 202, as read with Section 205 of the Penal Code. They all pleaded not guilty to all the 238 counts of manslaughter before Chief Magistrate Alex Ithuku which were read to them for four and half hours. They allegedly committed the offences on an unknown date between January 2021 and September 2023 in Shakahola area in Malindi Sub-County within Kilifi County.
The hearing of the bail/bond application is scheduled for 13th February 2024 when the prosecution led by DDPP, Mr. Victor Mule and assisted by SADPP, Mr. Peter Kiprop; ADPP, Mr. Jami Yamina; PPC, Mr. Victor Owiti; PPC, Ms. Betty Rubia; PPC, Mr. Alex Gituma; PC, Victor Simbi; PC, Yusuf Yasir Mohamed, and PC, Branton Isiaho will be opposing the release of each of the accused persons on bail/bond.
