Kenyan president sets up inquiry into religious cult deaths

The fee of inquiry was introduced on Friday by presidential spokesman Hussein Mohamed at the same time as cult chief Paul Mackenzie remained in custody.

Kenyan President William Ruto on Friday appointed a fee of inquiry into the deaths of greater than 100 individuals believed to have starved themselves to loss of life, whereas a court docket ordered that the cult chief stay in jail.

The fee of inquiry, introduced on Friday by presidential spokesman Hussein Mohamed, will study whether or not administrative or intelligence lapses contributed to the deaths.

Kenyan authorities have stated the useless had been members of the Good Information Worldwide Church led by Paul Mackenzie, who they stated predicted the world would finish on April 15 and instructed his followers to kill themselves to be the primary to go to heaven.

The loss of life toll stands at 111 however may rise additional, in one of many worst cult-related disasters in latest historical past.

Mohamed stated Ruto had additionally appointed a activity power to evaluate rules governing spiritual organisations.

Mackenzie has not commented publicly on the accusations in opposition to him nor has he been required to enter a plea to any legal cost. His lawyer George Kariuki advised the press on Tuesday that his shopper may face “potential terrorism prices”.

Mackenzie appeared in court docket within the port metropolis of Mombasa on Friday, the place prosecutors requested a choose to carry him for an extra 90 days as their investigation continued.

The choose stated he would ship a ruling subsequent Wednesday on the prosecution’s request and ordered that Mackenzie stay in custody till then.

Mackenzie, who was sporting a black and pink jacket and holding his two-year-old daughter in the course of the listening to, advised journalists on the court docket that he and a few of his supporters had been being refused meals in jail. Prosecutors denied this and his lawyer had advised the press on Tuesday that his shopper was consuming.

“He eats and drinks,” Kariuki stated. “He’s wholesome. I’ve met him personally. There have been rumours that he has refused to eat, and that isn’t true.”

In March, Mackenzie was arrested earlier this yr on suspicion of the homicide of two kids by hunger and suffocation however was then launched on bail.

Kin of his adherents say that after he was freed, he returned to the forest the place they lived and introduced ahead his predicted world’s finish date – which had beforehand fallen in August – to April 15.

This has led to criticism by some Kenyan lawmakers that safety providers missed alternatives to forestall the mass deaths.