Good News International Church leader Paul Mackenzie has been charged with the murder of 191 children in the Shakahola forest, where he forced people to starve to death.
He was charged alongside 29 followers, who denied the charges read to them before Malindi High Court judge Lady Justice Thande Mugure.
One of the accused persons was not in court after a mental assessment determined he was unfit to answer to murder charges, but his name is on the charge sheet.
Mackenzie and his followers were recently charged with terrorism manslaughter, among other charges.
The state had initially requested two weeks for a mental assessment of the accused persons before proceeding with murder charges.
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The terrible circumstances that gave rise to these accusations allegedly began when Mackenzie, the leader of the, reportedly gave his followers orders to commit drastic deeds in the hopes that doing so would enable them to reach heaven before the approaching end of the world.
Over several months, authorities excavated large tracts of dense woodland, uncovering the remains of over 400 people.
One of the biggest cult-related catastrophes in recent memory is highlighted by this finding.
Delays in filing charges were attributed to the challenging process of locating and exhuming numerous human remains, as well as conducting autopsies.
Mackenzie was convicted in December on charges of producing and distributing films without a license, resulting in a 12-month jail sentence.
In 2019, he had been arrested in connection with the deaths of children but was released on bond, with those cases still pending in court.
