"Fast To Death" Kenyan Preacher Faces Another Charge
Paul Mackenzie, a Kenyan preacher, has been found guilty of operating a studio and distributing films without a license. The magistrate in Malindi, Olga Onalo, ruled that Mackenzie exhibited films on his Times Television without approval from the Kenya Film Classification Board. He has been in police custody for over six months since his arrest in April, following the discovery of hundreds of bodies in mass graves on his 800-acre property in Kilifi county.
Mackenzie has not been formally charged in connection with the deaths, despite multiple court appearances. He was acquitted of charges related to influencing children and inciting religious divisions between Christians, Hindus, Buddhists, and Muslims.
Sentencing for the film-related offences is scheduled for December 1, and Mackenzie could face up to five years in prison. Prosecutors have also requested that he remain in custody for an additional six months to allow ongoing investigations, including the search for missing individuals.
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It was revealed about seven months ago that hundreds of people had died after Mackenzie allegedly convinced them to fast themselves to death so that they would go to heaven before the world ended. The number of bodies exhumed in the Shakahola forest surpassed 400. Following Mackenzie’s arrest, there has been an increasing demand for the government to regulate churches in Kenya. The case has shed light on the dangers of cults and the need for oversight and accountability within religious organizations.
