Pastor Paul Mackenzie, who is at the center of a cult deaths storm, was released on Tuesday freed but re-arrested moments later after he was arraigned in Malindi, Kilifi County.

Pastor Mackenzie appeared in a court in Malindi alongside six others who have been linked to the starvation deaths of 109 people at Shakahola forest inside the vast Chakama Ranch.

The cleric is now set to appear before the Shanzu court together with the six co-accused after Malindi Court judge Ivy Wasike said she lacked authority to hear their bail application.

Prosecution handling the case had appealed to the Malindi Court to close the files of the seven accused so that they can face charges related to terrorism at the Shanzu court.


The Good News International church boss was arrested a fortnight ago and 109 bodies exhumed from his grounds by Thursday evening before police barred media from the scene.

Mackenzie's lawyers have indicated that they will renew their application seeking to bar the government from detaining the cleric for 30 more days.