Kenyan Cult Leader Convicted of Mass Murder

A Kenyan court in Mombasa has found self-proclaimed pastor Paul Mackenzie and nearly thirty co-accused guilty of murdering 191 people, 190 of whom were children.

Mackenzie instructed members of his Good News International Church to relocate to the Shakahola forest and starve themselves to death to meet Jesus before the world ended. Modern medicine and formal education were forbidden.

Prosecutors detailed a structured hierarchy of death where children were targeted to die first. Enforced fasting was maintained by guards who restrained children, blocked escape attempts, and used violence against anyone who resisted. Postmortem reports revealed some victims died from suffocation, neck compression, or head injuries.

Over 400 bodies have been unearthed since mass graves were discovered in 2023. While the defence argued the starvation was voluntary, the court dismissed this, scheduling sentencing for 6 November.

Reflecting on the verdict, bereaved father Stephen Mwiti said, “I’m a happy man, that all persons have been convicted.”

Conversely, survivor Peter Shukrani defended the leader, stating, “I still love him and he is still my pastor.”

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