• The decision came after Director of Public Prosecutions Renson Ingonga approved charges against Mackenzie and his co-accused.
• Ingonga said the evidence against the suspects is watertight and can secure conviction on various charges.
Image: ALPHONCE GARI
Interior CS Kithure Kindiki has declared the church headed by Paul Mackenzie an organised criminal group.
The CS said yesterday in a public notice that he relied on section 22(1) of the Prevention of Organised Crime Act, 2010 to declare the religious outfit a criminal group and this automatically outlaws it.
"In exercise of the powers conferred by section 22 (1) of the Prevention of Organized Crimes Act, the Cabinet Secretary for Interior and National Administration declares Good News International Ministries to be an organised criminal group for the purpose of the Act,” the notice reads.
The decision came after Director of Public Prosecutions Renson Ingonga approved charges against Mackenzie and his co-accused.
They are being detained over the death of 429 people in Shakahola forest.
Ingonga said the evidence against the suspects is watertight and can secure conviction on various charges.
Mackenzie was arrested on April 15 last year.
Last Thursday, Mackenzie and 38 co-accused persons were charged with child cruelty, torture and denying children right to education.
The suspects denied the charges before Tononoka Children’s Court principal magistrate Nelly Chepchirchir.
Mackenzie and his followers are accused of torturing the children in Shakahola Forest so they could "go to heaven'.
At least 191 children and 238 adults died, and were buried secretly.
The matter will be mentioned on February 15.
Last Tuesday, Mackenzie and his 94 other co-accused persons had to wait for four and a half hours as the charges of manslaughter were being read against them.
Mackenzie, his wife Rhoda Maweu and the other suspects were charged with 238 counts of manslaughter. The victims in the manslaughter case are all adults.
The suspects denied the charges before Mombasa chief magistrate Alex Ithuku.
The 95 are accused of jointly killing 238 people between January 2021 and September 2023 in Shakahola, Kilifi county.
The prosecution opposed their release on bond.
The court directed that the application for and against the bond be heard on February 13, 2024 and all the suspects remain in custody at Shimo la Tewa Prison.
A week before, Mackenzie and the co-accused were charged in the High Court in Malindi with the murder of 191 children.
The court was told the children were died between January 2021 and September 2023 in Shakahola.
They all denied the charges and the matter will be mentioned on February 8.