00:00A Kenya court is expected to deliver its verdict on Monday in the trial of self-proclaimed preacher Paul McKenzie
00:07and his associate accused of murdering 191 people, most of them children, in one of the country's worst mass casualty
00:15cases.
00:16The case stems from the discovery in 2023 of hundreds of bodies buried in shallow graves in Shakahola Forest near
00:25the coastal town of Malindi. Prosecutors allege McKenzie encouraged his followers to stab themselves to death to meet Jesus with
00:33children allegedly targeted first. More than 400 bodies have since been recovered from the surrounding area, although some victims remain
00:43unidentified.
00:43McKenzie and his associates have pledged not guilty. His lawyers argued that prosecution's case relies heavily on circumstantial evidence and
00:54inconclusive forensic findings.
00:56The trial heard testimony for more than 120 witnesses from about events between 2021 and 2023. The tragedy sparked public
01:05outrage and renewed calls for tighter oversight of religious organizations in Kenya.
