Kenya cult leader Paul Mackenzie convicted of 191 murders

A court in Mombasa, Kenya, has found cult leader Paul Nthenge Mackenzie and 28 accomplices guilty of murder in 191 cases. The verdict, delivered by Judge Diana Kavedza, follows the discovery of numerous bodies in the Shakahola Forest, where over 400 deaths have been identified in total.

The court determined that the deaths resulted from an organized system within the ‘Good News International Church’. Mackenzie used religious teachings and a strict hierarchy to enforce lethal fasting among followers, preaching that death through starvation was a way to meet Jesus before an impending apocalypse. The court rejected defense arguments that the victims had fasted voluntarily.

Investigations revealed a pattern where children were instructed to die first, followed by women and then men. The case has sparked intense debate in Kenya regarding the regulation of religious groups, especially as critics question why authorities did not act sooner despite reports of suspicious activities dating back to 2017. Sentencing is expected to be announced in November.