Mombasa: In connection with the deaths of more than 100 people discovered buried in mass graves, a Kenyan cult leader accused of encouraging and possibly compelling his followers to starve themselves to death made an appearance in court on Friday.

The "Shakahola forest massacre" graves were found last month close to the Indian Ocean coastal town of Malindi, shocking the deeply religious nation with a majority of Christians.

In the courtroom in Mombasa, Kenya's second-largest city, self-described pastor Paul Nthenge Mackenzie, who is expected to be charged with terrorism for allegedly advising followers to starve to death "to meet Jesus," made an appearance.

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Together with 17 other defendants, Mackenzie was brought in by about a dozen police officers while wearing a pink and black jacket and brown trousers and being accompanied by his wife and child.

The other suspects, in the eyes of the investigators, are charged with running an armed "enforcer gang" tasked with making sure that nobody broke their fast or escaped from their forested hideout alive.

Despite starvation appearing to be the primary cause of death, autopsies performed on 100 bodies revealed that some of the victims, including children, had also been beaten, strangled, or suffocated.

Together with 17 other defendants, Mackenzie was brought in by about a dozen police officers while wearing a pink and black jacket and brown trousers and being accompanied by his wife and child.

The other suspects, in the eyes of the investigators, are charged with running an armed "enforcer gang" tasked with making sure that nobody broke their fast or escaped from their forested hideout alive.

Despite starvation appearing to be the primary cause of death, autopsies performed on 100 bodies revealed that some of the victims, including children, had also been beaten, strangled, or suffocated.

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Authorities claim to have solid evidence connecting the deaths of several "innocent and vulnerable followers" of Odero's New Life Prayer Centre and Church to the bodies exhumed at Shakahola.

Odero expressed his desire to "strongly disassociate" himself from Mackenzie and his teachings in a document submitted to the court.

According to court documents obtained by AFP, Mackenzie is accused of murder, kidnapping, and cruelty to children in addition to the terrorism-related charges that prosecutors intend to bring.

The former taxi driver surrendered on April 14 after police entered Shakahola forest, where about 30 mass graves have now been discovered, acting on a tip-off.

How Mackenzie, a self-styled pastor with a history of extremism, evaded law enforcement in spite of his high profile and prior legal troubles has come under scrutiny.

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The horrific saga has made President William Ruto promise to step in and regulate Kenya's domestic religious movements and brought attention to the ineffective attempts to control dishonest churches and cults that have dabbled in criminal activity.