Pastor Paul Mackenzie's follower dies in prison

One of the 94 suspects detained alongside cult leader Paul Mackenzie has died in prison.

Assistant Director of Public Prosecution, Jami Yamina, informed Mombasa Chief Magistrate Alex Ithuku that Mary Charo Mbita, who was held at Shimo La Tewa Women’s Prison, passed away while in custody.

Charo was among 40 women and 55 men connected to the tragic Shakahola massacre, which resulted in over 429 deaths.

The suspects are facing 238 counts of manslaughter at the Mombasa Magistrate Court.

“The accused, Mary Charo, is deceased. The court is requested to mark her case as abated and withdrawn. An inquest has been opened to determine the cause of her death, and the findings will be shared with the court,” Yamina told the court.

Defence counsel, Lawrence Obonyo, did not oppose the prosecution's request to withdraw the charges against Charo.

“We were already informed about her death, and we have no objection to marking the case as abated,” Obonyo said.

Charo becomes the second suspect in Mackenzie's case to die in prison.

Last year June, Joseph Juma Buyuka, another suspect, died at Malindi GK Prison after participating in a 10-day hunger strike.

The prosecution attributed his death to complications from starvation.

On Monday, the Mombasa Magistrate Court began hearing witness testimonies in the manslaughter case against Mackenzie and the 94 other suspects.

The Director of Public Prosecution has prepared 422 witnesses, with five scheduled to testify this week.

The first witness, whose identity is protected, testified in a closed session on Monday.

The hearing continues on Tuesday, August 13.