Mary Charo Mbita, one of the 94 suspects detained in connection with the Shakahola massacre, has died while in custody at Shimo La Tewa Women’s Prison.
This marks the second death among the suspects held alongside cult leader Paul Mackenzie.
Assistant Director of Public Prosecution, Jami Yamina, informed Mombasa Chief Magistrate Alex Ithuku of Charo’s death.
Charo, who was among the 40 women and 55 men accused in the case, was facing 238 counts of manslaughter related to the tragedy, which claimed over 429 lives.
“The accused, Mary Charo, is deceased. The court is requested to mark her case as abated and withdrawn. An inquest has been opened to determine the cause of her death, and the findings will be shared with the court,” Yamina told the magistrate.
Defence counsel Lawrence Obonyo confirmed that he had been informed of Charo’s death and did not oppose the prosecution’s request to withdraw the charges.
“We were already informed about her death, and we have no objection to marking the case as abated,” Obonyo stated.
Charo’s death follows that of another suspect in the same case, raising concerns about the well-being of those in custody.
The court has initiated an inquest to investigate the circumstances surrounding her death.
