A self-proclaimed pastor who convinced his followers that starving themselves and their children would lead them to heaven has been found guilty of 191 murders in one of the deadliest cult-related tragedies in modern history.
Paul Mackenzie, the leader of Kenya’s Good News International Church, was convicted Monday, October 19, alongside 28 associates in connection with the deaths of 190 children and one adult.
The verdict follows a yearslong investigation that began when authorities discovered mass graves in Kenya’s remote Shakahola Forest in 2023. Since then, more than 400 bodies have been recovered, exposing the devastating consequences of the group’s teachings.
During an eight-hour hearing at the Mombasa High Court, Justice Diana Kavedza Mochache determined that Mackenzie and his associates had organized a system of religious manipulation that encouraged and enforced deadly fasting.
According to prosecutors, Mackenzie preached that the end of the world was approaching and that followers needed to starve themselves to death to meet Jesus in heaven.
Children were expected to die first, followed by women and younger men, with other members of the group instructed to fast afterward.
The court heard that some parents believed their children’s deaths were necessary to achieve spiritual salvation. Witnesses also described how members who resisted the teachings faced intimidation and violence.
Mackenzie, a former taxi driver who founded his church in 2003, had built a following by preaching against formal education, modern medicine and other institutions he considered spiritually dangerous.
His influence expanded during the COVID-19 pandemic, when his apocalyptic messages attracted followers who believed his predictions about the end of the world.
After authorities closed his church premises in 2019, Mackenzie relocated his religious community to an isolated property in Shakahola Forest, near the coastal town of Malindi.
Followers lived in makeshift homes scattered across the property, which was divided into sections with biblical names.
Investigators later determined that the group operated under a strict hierarchy, with senior members helping enforce Mackenzie’s instructions.
The scale of the tragedy began emerging in March 2023 when authorities received reports that children had died after their families followed the pastor’s fasting teachings.
Police eventually launched a major search of the surrounding forest, uncovering numerous burial sites and hundreds of victims.
Many of those recovered were children, including some whose identities have never been established.
Medical examinations found evidence of starvation among numerous victims, while investigators documented other causes of death, including suffocation and physical injuries.
The discoveries shocked Kenya and drew international attention to the dangers of coercive religious groups.
For families who lost loved ones, Monday’s verdict brought a measure of relief after more than three years of grief and uncertainty.
Francis Wanje, 62, lost eight relatives, including his daughter and two grandchildren, to the group.
Speaking to Reuters after the ruling, Wanje welcomed the convictions and said he hoped the case would encourage others to recognize the warning signs of organizations that exploit religious beliefs.
Another grieving relative, William Ponda Ngala, whose mother, brother and two nephews died, told the Associated Press that the judgment finally allowed his family to experience some relief.
The case has also raised serious questions about why Kenyan authorities failed to intervene sooner.
Police had investigated Mackenzie as early as 2017, including concerns involving children who were being kept out of school.
His church was shut down in 2019, but he continued operating after moving his followers into the forest.
Kenyan President William Ruto acknowledged in 2023 that government agencies should have done more to prevent the deaths, prompting renewed calls for stronger oversight and better coordination between police and child protection officials.
The tragedy has fueled a national debate about protecting vulnerable people from religious exploitation while preserving freedom of worship.
Despite the evidence presented at trial, Mackenzie denied forcing anyone to starve, maintaining that followers had made their own decisions.
The court rejected that defense, concluding that the deaths resulted from an organized system in which religious authority was used to direct and enforce fatal fasting.
Mackenzie and his co-defendants are scheduled to return to court for a hearing on October 30, with sentencing set for November 6.
Their attorney has indicated that the convictions will be appealed.
The legal proceedings are not over. Mackenzie also faces separate charges involving additional deaths and alleged terrorism-related offenses, which he has denied.
Investigators are continuing to examine evidence connected to other victims discovered in the region, meaning the full scale of the tragedy may still be unknown.
For the families who lost children, parents and siblings, the convictions represent a major step toward accountability in a case that exposed how devastating unchecked manipulation and coercion can become.
