Kenyan Court Convicts Cult Leader Over Murder Of 191 People

A Kenyan court has convicted self-proclaimed preacher Paul Nthenge Mackenzie of murder over the deaths of 191 people linked to his starvation cult in Shakahola Forest.

The Mombasa court delivered the verdict on Monday, finding Mackenzie and dozens of his associates guilty of the murder of 190 children and one adult.

The case stems from the deaths of followers of Mackenzie’s Good News International Ministries, who prosecutors said were encouraged to starve themselves and their children to death in the belief that they would meet Jesus.

The deaths came to light in April 2023 after police began investigating reports of missing people and discovered mass graves in Shakahola Forest, in Kilifi County, along Kenya’s coast.

More than 400 bodies have since been recovered from the area, making the case one of Kenya’s deadliest cult-related tragedies.

Prosecutors alleged that Mackenzie directed followers to undertake extreme fasting as part of his doomsday teachings. Investigators also found evidence that some victims died from causes including starvation, suffocation and physical injuries.

Mackenzie and his co-accused had denied the murder charges and pleaded not guilty during the trial. The prosecution called more than 120 witnesses as it sought to establish the defendants’ responsibility for the deaths.

The preacher also faces separate legal proceedings involving allegations of terrorism, radicalisation and preventing children from accessing education.