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89 remains had been retrieved from Paul Mackenzie’s forest acreage by Tuesday afternoon when Interior Cabinet Secretary Kithure Kindiki visited Shakahola Malindi on Tuesday, April 28.
In a press briefing, the Interior CS condemned the actions of self-professed religious leaders who he claimed used the Bible to perform heinous acts. He affirmed that Paul Mackenzie and his collaborators had already caused a lot of harm by the time the law caught up with them, but he will pay for the lost lives and the pain he has inflicted on humanity.
Read: PAUL MACKENZIE SHOULD BE IN JAIL; President Ruto
I would like to say Paul Mackenzie and all his collaborators have a date with destiny. It is true that by the time the law caught up with him, he had already caused a lot of harm. But for the lives lost and the hurt he has inflicted on humanity, he will pay dearly. Over and above charging Mackenzie with terrorism, I am convinced that a case can be built for charging him and his collaborators with genocide.”
Kithure Kindiki said.
The CS said that Mackenzie together with his fanatics has defiled both local and international laws, citing that it is possible for him to be charged with genocide crimes.
It is possible to charge them with the crime of genocide under international and Kenyan laws for the following reasons;
Since Mackenzie and his group have murdered all these people, and have used religion to commit the atrocities, it is very easy to fill his behaviour within Article 2 of the UN’s convention on the prevention and punishment of the crimes of genocide.”
Kithure Kindiki remarked.
Massacre or Genocide for Paul Mackenzie
However, several activists want the CS to clarify whether Mackenzie would be charged with genocide or massacre.
Genocide is the deliberate killing of a large number of people from a particular nation or ethnic group with the aim of destroying that nation or group, whereas a massacre is an indiscriminate and brutal slaughter of many people.
Either, The Director of Public Prosecutions (DPP) Noordin Haji, had earlier stated that the suspect would be charged with radicalization and terrorism. The DPP also announced that the autopsy of over 70 bodies exhumed from Shakahola forest will start on Thursday, May 4th.
Read: Kenya police begin exhuming remains from suspected Christian cult graves
Kithure Kindiki at the same time stated that the government will soon tighten laws governing freedom of religion, as well as open a formal inquiry into another religion in Malindi that they also suspect has mass graves like Shakahola.
The purported use of the Bible to massacre people cannot be tolerated anywhere. Those who urged others to fast and die were eating and drinking. What has happened here is the discovery of serious crimes against the laws of Kenya and against international laws. I know the country is in pain and shock. The rest of the world is in solidarity for what has happened here in Kilifi.”
Added Kindiki.
As of 3 p.m. Tuesday, detectives had rescued three more people, bringing 34 the total number of those rescued so far.
Presently, detectives are combing the forest to try and rescue more followers of the Good News International Church who allegedly were instructed by Paul Mackenzie to starve themselves in order to ‘meet Jesus’.
