Cult leader Paul Mackenzie and 94 other co-accused individuals have initiated another hunger strike as they appeared at the Mombasa Law Court for the hearing of a case in which they face 238 counts of manslaughter.
The suspects were reportedly too weak to exit the prison vehicles upon arrival.
High Court Judge Alex Ithuku instructed them to stay in the court’s holding area and be represented in the proceedings by their lawyer.
During last week’s court appearance, Mackenzie and 38 of his co-accused persons were charged with 17 counts among them subjecting children to torture, assault, cruelty, and infringing a child’s right to education.
The Office of the Director of Public Prosecutions said it was seeking to have the court deny the suspects bond on grounds that they are flight risks.
this as The next phase of exhumation of bodies in the vast Shakahola forest will resume in March.
Government pathologist Johansen Oduor on Thursday said so far autopsies on 429 bodies had been done and results for DNA are still being awaited.
He said the plan is to ensure that nobody is left in the forest and to bring closure to families looking for their loved ones.
Oduor said identified bodies exhumed from the Shakahola forest from the last phase of the exercise will be released to their families in March.