The Director of Public Prosecution (DPP) has filed a fresh application seeking court orders to detain controversial preacher Paul Mackenzie and his co-suspects for six months (180 days).
In a statement on Monday, September 18, 2023, the DPP said the detention would enable the police to conclude investigations into the Shakahola massacre.
Assistant DPP Jami Yamina told Senior Principal Magistrate Yusuf Shikanda that investigations remain incomplete after the lapse of an earlier court order that directed the detention of Mackenzie and his co-suspects for 47 days.
“The application, supported by an affidavit from Chief Inspector Raphael Wanjohi, reveals that DNA profiling of 429 bodies exhumed from the Shakahola forest is delicate, expensive, hard and time-consuming,” the statement read in part.
“The application further discloses that pathologists require at least an additional 6 months to complete the DNA profiling process in order to conclusively establish the true identity of the exhumed bodies.”
Mackenzie’s lawyers
However, the court adjourned the hearing of the application to allow lawyers representing Mackenzie and his co-suspects to file their responses.
Meanwhile, the probation service also sought 30 days to conclude the social inquiry report.
The matter will be mentioned on October 12, 2023.
