Suspected Shakahola cult leader Paul Nthenge Mackenzie now wants the state to provide him, his wife Rhoda Mumbua and 18 of his aides with mattresses and quality food while being held in various police stations across the coastal region.
Mackenzie through his lawyers George Kariuki, Wycliffe Makasembo and Elisha Komora put up a spirited fight before Shanzu senior principal magistrate Yusuf Shikanda who ordered for the suspects to be detained for 30 more days.
The lawyers informed the court that their clients were being forced to sleep on the bare floor and were afraid that they may end up contracting pneumonia due to the cold weather.
“My clients have been sleeping on bare cement floors, their lungs are already wet and they have told us that they have pains in the ribs. Chances are they have already contracted pneumonia and they will die before the commencement of the matter,” Kariuki said.
Kariuki further claimed that the suspects were being denied food as a way of punishment over allegations of having starved their victims to death.
“They are being fed ugali with some type of a splash of some liquid which cannot even qualify to be called bean soup. I have personally seen the food,” he lamented.
Kariuki further requested the court to order police to produce over Ksh150,000 which was recovered from Mackenzie’s wife during her arrest but had gone missing.
“Let the court order for the production of the said money and its whereabouts and once the money is produced issue orders for us to be allowed to use the money to buy quality food and mattresses for our clients in the cells we can easily afford,” he stated
However senior principal prosecution counsel Yamina Jamii in his reply to Mackenzie’s application noted that the suspects were being held in a more comfortable place.
“I don’t know if the court is in a position to order for a mattress and quality food and as a matter of fact where the suspects are being held is more comfortable than Shakahola,” he said.
