# Paul Mackenzie convicted in Shakahola Forest massacre > Live situation record from CLSTR: https://clstr.news/situations/paul-mackenzie-shakahola-forest-legal-proceedings > Updated: 2026-10-23T19:43:59.000Z. Sources: 108. Developments: 4. The legal and social fallout from the Shakahola Forest massacre in Kenya continues to unfold. In October 2026, authorities in Malindi rescued several children, aged six to 16, from the home of Anastacia Mumwele, the mother of incarcerated preacher Paul Mackenzie. The children were reportedly subjected to enforced fasting and denied education because Mackenzie had failed to obtain birth certificates for them. Ms. Mumwele was arrested on potential charges of child cruelty and torture. In a significant legal development, the Mombasa High Court has convicted Paul Nthenge Mackenzie and 28 co-accused for the murder of 191 people, including 190 children. The deaths occurred between January 2021 and September 2023. Lady Justice Diana Kavedza Mochache ruled that the Good News International Church operated as a cult, utilizing a structured hierarchy and religious teachings to direct followers toward extreme fasting. The court heard that the doctrine also prohibited modern medicine and formal education, labeling them as ‘evil.’ Prosecutors successfully argued that a doomsday doctrine encouraged followers to starve themselves and their children to ‘meet Jesus.’ The court found that the religious and communications network established by Mackenzie facilitated these deadly practices. Lady Justice Mochache rejected defense claims that the victims had fasted voluntarily, noting that the prosecution established a specific sequence of deaths where children were targeted first, followed by women and then men. Witnesses testified that children were often restrained or denied food and water to enforce the fasting. Beyond the murder convictions, Mackenzie faces additional charges including terrorism and radicalization. While this verdict addresses 191 specific murder counts, investigations into the remaining deaths are ongoing, as authorities have recovered more than 400 bodies from the Shakahola area since 2023. ## Claims - Lady Justice Diana Kavedza Mochache found all 29 defendants guilty of murder. (disputed by 12 sources) - The sentencing for Mackenzie and his co-accused is scheduled for November 6. (disputed by 11 sources) - The Mombasa High Court is scheduled to deliver its verdict on Monday, October 19, 2026. (disputed by 8 sources) - Paul Mackenzie and his co-accused have pleaded not guilty to the murder charges. (disputed by 7 sources) - Followers were instructed to fast to death in order to meet Jesus. (corroborated by 19 sources) - More than 400 bodies have been recovered from shallow graves in the Shakahola Forest area. (corroborated by 19 sources) - The prosecution established a structured hierarchy of death where children were targeted first, followed by women and then men. (corroborated by 14 sources) - The cult's doctrine discouraged the use of modern medicine and formal education. (corroborated by 12 sources) - Paul Mackenzie initiated and directed the practice of extreme fasting among his followers. (corroborated by 10 sources) - The court ruled that Good News International Church operated as a cult. (corroborated by 8 sources) ## Timeline ### 2026-10-23: Kenya cult leader Paul Mackenzie convicted of 191 murders Kenyan cult leader Paul Nthenge Mackenzie and 28 followers have been convicted of murdering 191 people, including 190 children, through forced starvation in the Shakahola Forest. 3 sources. https://clstr.news/cluster/kenya-cult-leader-paul-mackenzie-convicted-of-191-murders-1 ### 2026-10-21: Kenya cult leader Paul Mackenzie convicted of 191 murders Kenyan cult leader Paul Nthenge Mackenzie and 28 followers have been convicted of 191 murders in Mombasa after a deadly fasting scheme in the Shakahola Forest claimed hundreds of lives. 5 sources. https://clstr.news/cluster/kenya-cult-leader-paul-mackenzie-convicted-of-191-murders ### 2026-10-19: Paul Mackenzie convicted of murdering 191 in Shakahola cult massacre Kenyan preacher Paul Mackenzie and 28 followers have been convicted of murdering 191 people, including 190 children, by forcing them to starve in a Shakahola Forest cult. 100 sources. https://clstr.news/cluster/paul-mackenzie-faces-verdict-in-kenyan-shakahola-massacre-trial ### 2026-10-08: Malindi authorities rescue children from home of Paul Mackenzie’s mother Detectives in Malindi rescued several children from the home of Paul Mackenzie’s mother, following allegations of enforced fasting and denial of education linked to doomsday teachings. 2 sources. https://clstr.news/cluster/malindi-authorities-rescue-children-from-home-of-paul-mackenzies-mother --- Cite as: Paul Mackenzie convicted in Shakahola Forest massacre. CLSTR, https://clstr.news/situations/paul-mackenzie-shakahola-forest-legal-proceedings