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A Kenyan court has granted prosecutors a two-week window to undergo mental health evaluations of cult leader Paul Nthenge Mackenzie and 30 associates, before charging them with alleged murder of more than 400 followers.

Mackenzie, the self-proclaimed pastor of the “Good News International Church”, stands accused of instructing his followers to starve themselves and their children to death.

This case, known as the “Shakahola forest massacre,” gained global attention as the bodies of over 400 victims were discovered in Kenya’s Kilifi county, with autopsies revealing deaths due to hunger, strangulation, beating, and suffocation.

Prosecutors aim to charge a total of 95 individuals with offenses including murder, manslaughter, terrorism, and torture.

The court’s decision to conduct mental health evaluations for the defendants comes after warnings that Mackenzie might be released if charges were not filed within a specific time-frame. The judge granted the request, acknowledging the challenges posed by the large number of suspects.

Mackenzie, previously a taxi driver, reportedly orchestrated the mass starvation in phases, targeting children, women, and young men. Some of his followers also said that he discouraged them from sending children to school or seeking medical care.

The court proceedings revealed delays in charging the defendants due to the exhaustive process of locating, exhuming, and autopsying numerous human remains.

Mackenzie, who is already serving a 12-month jail term for other offenses, appeared in court alongside his fellow defendants.

(With inputs from Reuters)