A Mombasa children’s court on Thursday denied Pastor Paul Mackenzie and 38 others bail on grounds that the children safety should be safeguarded.
In the case, Mackenzie and his co-accused were charged with several counts of torturing children in Shakahola have been denied bond by the Tononoka Children’s Court.
Principal Magistrate Nelly Chepchirchir said there were compelling reasons to deny the accused bail.
The court further said that it had considered the nature of the offences against the accused persons.
“There is need to safeguard the best interests of the children who are witnesses in this matter and whom the accused may or have authority over,” the court ruled.
The court ruled that Article 53 of the Constitution demands that the best interests of a child should be paramount in every matter involving a child and this matter is not an exception.
The court further directed that the matter be expedited in order to avoid a situation envisaged by the Mackenzie lawyer Wycliffe Makasembo who had raised concerns that the matter may take up to five years.
The case will be mentioned April 23 for pretrial case conference and the court further directed that the physical presence of the accused persons be dispensed with on that day.
