Two Kenyan preachers have appeared in separate courts, accused of encouraging their followers to harm themselves to meet Jesus. Kenyan authorities have exhumed the bodies of more than 100 people, with postmortems on 10 of them showing they died from starvation and lack of oxygen.
Pastors Paul Mackenize and Ezekiel Odero appeared in court to answer charges that they allegedly killed their followers by urging them to fast to death in order to meet Jesus.
Mackenize and his accomplice were re-arrested after a judge in the town of Malindi declared that the court could not rule on terrorism charges preferred by the prosecution.
The prosecution said last week that they would charge the pastor with radicalization and terrorism. The pastor was taken to the Shanzu Law Court in Mombasa, where judges hear terrorism-related cases.
Mary Kithi, 46, was in court to witness the proceedings. Kithi is searching for her niece and her six children, who were followers of Mackenzie.
"I was in court to find out what the judge would rule and where our loved ones were. They disappeared," she said. "We have yet to locate them, let alone their bodies. The children's mother called us three weeks ago, but we couldn't reach her when we called back. We have no idea where she is. She informed us that all of the children had died."
Kenyan investigators have exhumed at least 110 bodies from the Shakahola forest along the coast, where people met their deaths.
Due to heavy rains in the forest, exhumation of the bodies has been temporarily halted, but efforts to rescue more survivors continue.
More than 400 people have disappeared, according to the Kenyan Red Cross.
Odero, who has been linked to the Shakahola deaths, appeared in Mombasa Law Court to answer for similar deaths in Kilifi County.
The followers and supporters of Odero demanded his release.
Mumina Alaso, a Kilifi County human rights defender, says justice must be served to all those who died as a result of the pastors' misleading teachings.
"It's really bad," she said. "Most of the Ezekiel people have come to chant that they want the pastor to be released, while there are so many people who have lost their loved ones. And some who have not yet found their loved ones with the cult pastors. … I feel that justice has to be done for the people who have lost their lives being forced to fast and even their children who were forced to fast."
Odero’s lawyers, led by Danstan Omari, said no one has come forward to claim that the pastor killed any of his church members.
He says allegations have been made that the pastor is involved in transporting bodies to Shakahola.
"I am appealing to all Kenyans who have ever come to the church, who have ever brought their patients, who have ever brought a patient who died and that patient was taken to Shakahola, to go to any nearest police station in the country and provide that evidence. Because up to now, none of those people who have ever taken anybody to pastor Ezekiel’s church [has] provided that evidence. There isn't anyone," he said.
Odero will appear in court again Thursday, but it's unclear when Mackenzie will appear to answer terrorism-related charges.
