A court has granted the Director of Public Prosecutions (DPP) approval to formally charge Good News International Church leader Paul Nthenge Mackenzie and his co-accused over the deaths of 52 people at the Binzaro homestead in Kilifi County.
In a ruling delivered on Monday, Malindi Senior Principal Magistrate Joy Wesonga allowed the prosecution additional time to coordinate the production of all suspects, paving the way for a joint plea-taking scheduled for February 11, 2026.
As a result, Mackenzie, who is currently remanded at Shimo la Tewa Maximum Prison where he faces murder, manslaughter, radicalisation and other charges related to offences against children, will be brought to court on the scheduled date.
The remaining suspects will continue to be held at Malindi GK Prison pending plea-taking.
In the Binzaro case, Mackenzie and his co-accused are set to face a raft of serious charges, including engaging in organised criminal activities under the Prevention of Organised Crime Act, radicalisation and facilitation of terrorist acts under the Prevention of Terrorism Act, and murder contrary to the Penal Code.
The prosecution told the court that Mackenzie is reasonably suspected to have masterminded and overseen the commission of the offences, allegedly using radical teachings and coordinated structures to lure victims to the remote Binzaro homestead.
Court proceedings further heard that investigators recovered handwritten notes from cells occupied by Mackenzie, which allegedly detailed transactions conducted through mobile phones.
The suspects were arrested on July 19, 2025, at Binzaro Village in Makongeni B Sub-Location, Chakama Location, Malindi Sub-County, following what the prosecution described as extensive investigations.
The case was being prosecuted by Racheal Amala on behalf of the Director of Public Prosecutions.
The fresh charges come two weeks after the DPP recorded a major development in a related matter, when Mackenzie’s co-accused, Enos Amanya alias Halleluhya, pleaded guilty to committing 191 murders in a separate case before the Mombasa High Court.
