In Kenya, the court has given a big verdict in the case of people being starved to death in the name of religion. Religious leader Paul McKenzie and 28 of his associates have been convicted of murdering 190 children and one adult. The court made it clear that the arguments of the accused in the case of forced starvation of children cannot be accepted. All the culprits will be sentenced on November 6.
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Showed fear of the world ending, lured heaven
Paul McKenzie ran his religious group through the Good News International Church. According to government lawyers, he used to tell people that the world was going to end soon. Those who die of hunger before this will get heaven.
Heeded by his words, many families went to live in Shakahola forest with their children. It is alleged that people there were forced to give up food. McKenzie denied murder charges, saying he did not force anyone to starve. However, the court rejected his argument.
First a plan was made to starve the children
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According to people associated with the investigation, McKenzie had planned to kill people by starving them in three phases. First of all, children were not to be given food. After this it was the turn of women and young boys. Ultimately the plan was to starve the remaining men.
During the court hearing, Judge Diana Kawedza Mochache said that some children were separated from their families. They were not given food even though their parents were present. This revelation further increased the seriousness of the matter.
More than 400 dead bodies found in the forest
The matter came to light in March 2023, when a man told the police that his brother and sister-in-law had starved their children to death on the instigation of McKenzie.
After this the police started action. McKenzie was re-arrested in April 2023 and a large-scale search began in the Shakahola forest. So far, more than 400 bodies have been taken out from mass graves here. However, the court's recent decision has come in a case related to 191 deaths. The investigation into the remaining deaths is still ongoing.
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Also prevented from sending children to school and hospital
Mackenzie prevented his followers from sending their children to school. It was also forbidden to go to the hospital if someone fell ill. He described institutions like schools and hospitals as being associated with the devil.
His followers lived in huts made of plastic sheets and dry grass in the forest. The areas inhabited there also had Biblical names, including Jerusalem and Judea.
McKenzie was under police surveillance since 2017
Questions have also been raised on the role of police and administration in this matter. McKenzie was under the radar of the authorities since 2017. His church was closed in 2019, but after this he went to the forest and started running his own group. McKenzie also faces other charges in the case. Government lawyers claim that while in custody he had ordered the death of 52 people in another village. In this case also he has declared himself innocent.
62-year-old Francis Vanje, who lost eight members of his family in this incident, had said before the verdict that his family was suffering from mental problems for a long time. His two grandchildren were also among the dead. After this incident, the demand for increased monitoring of religious organizations in Kenya has intensified. The case has also raised the question that when McKenzie was already on the police radar, why such a horrific incident could not be stopped in time.