A Kenyan court on Monday convicted self-proclaimed preacher Paul Mackenzie and his associates of murdering 190 children and one adult in the Shakahola starvation massacre, one of the country’s deadliest cult-related tragedies.
The High Court in Mombasa ruled that prosecutors had established the defendants’ responsibility for the 191 deaths, rejecting arguments that the victims had voluntarily participated in extreme religious fasting.
Justice Diana Kavedza-Mochache said the evidence demonstrated that children, many under the age of 16, had been subjected to deliberate starvation rather than freely choosing to deprive themselves of food.
Mackenzie, who led the Good News International Church, was accused of directing followers to starve themselves and their children to death under the belief that doing so would allow them to reach heaven before the end of the world.
The court heard evidence that children were deliberately denied food, with some subjected to starvation under the supervision of their parents.
The defendants had denied the murder charges, maintaining that followers had chosen to fast voluntarily. However, the judge dismissed that defence and found them guilty.
The case emerged in 2023 after investigators discovered mass graves in Shakahola Forest, near the coastal town of Malindi, exposing an extensive network of abuse and deprivation linked to Mackenzie’s religious movement.
More than 400 bodies were eventually recovered from the forest, many showing signs of severe malnutrition. Investigators also uncovered evidence suggesting that some victims had been subjected to violence.
The scale of the tragedy shocked Kenya and raised serious questions about the failure of authorities to intervene despite earlier warnings concerning Mackenzie’s activities.
The preacher, who had previously attracted scrutiny over teachings discouraging formal education and medical treatment, also faces separate charges related to terrorism and other alleged abuses.
Monday’s ruling represents a major step towards accountability for the Shakahola deaths, although investigations and legal proceedings concerning additional victims remain ongoing.
Mackenzie and his co-defendants are scheduled to be sentenced on November 6.
