The Director of Public Prosecutions (DPP) has been cleared to formally charge Good News International Church leader Paul Nthenge Mackenzie and several other co-accused persons who are linked to the deaths of 52 people at the Binzaro homestead in Kilifi County.
The ruling was delivered on Monday by Joy Wesonga, Malindi Senior Principal Magistrate, who granted the prosecution additional time to facilitate the coordinated production of all suspects before court, and therefore paving way for a joint plea-taking scheduled for 11th February 2026.
Mackenzie, who is currently in remand at Shimo La Tewa Maximum Prison, will be presented in court on the scheduled date.
He is already facing multiple charges in separate cases, including murder, radicalization, manslaughter and other charges related to offences against children. His co-accused will remain in custody at Malindi GK Prison pending the plea-taking.
In the Binzaro case, Mackenzie and his counterparts are set to face a range of serious charges, including engaging in organized criminal activities under the Prevention of Organised Crime Act, radicalization and facilitation of terrorist acts contrary to the Prevention of Terrorism Act, and murder contrary to the Penal Code.
The prosecutors informed the court that Mackenzie is reasonably suspected to have played a key role in planning and overseeing the crimes.
According to the prosecution, he allegedly used extremist religious teachings and a coordinated network to lure followers to the remote Binzaro homestead, where the deaths occurred.
The court further heard that the investigators recovered handwritten notes from the cells which were previously occupied by Mackenzie. The notes are said to contain details of transactions allegedly carried out using mobile phones, forming part of the evidence in the case.
The suspects were apprehended on 19th July, 2025, at Binzaro village in Makongeni B Sub-Location, Chakama Location, Malindi Sub-County, following extensive investigations by law enforcement agencies.
These fresh charges come barely two weeks after a major development in a related case where Mackenzie’s co-accused, Enos Amanya, well known as Halleluhya, pleaded guilty to committing 191 murders in a separate case at the Mombasa High Court.
