A Kenyan court has sentenced self-styled pastor Paul Mackenzie to 200 years in prison for the deaths of 191 people, including 190 children, in the Shakahola starvation cult case. The High Court in Mombasa found Mackenzie and 28 co-accused guilty of murder last month. The court heard that followers of Mackenzie's Good News International Church were directed to fast in order to "meet Jesus", with the practice beginning with children.
The court found that Mackenzie bore "primary criminal culpability" for ordering followers to fast to death. Justice Diana Kavedza said Mackenzie's actions led to the deaths of 191 people, with the majority being children. Prosecutors had asked the court to impose the death penalty, citing the scale of the crimes and what they described as Mackenzie's lack of remorse.
Kenya has not carried out an execution since 1987, and instead, Mackenzie was sentenced to 200 years in prison. The case came to light in 2023 after reports of missing people led investigators to Shakahola forest in coastal Kilifi County. More than 400 bodies were later exhumed from shallow graves, with post-mortem examinations finding starvation to be the cause of death for most victims.
The court heard that the fasting was enforced through an organised system, and that people who resisted Mackenzie's teachings were beaten. Before the verdict, Mackenzie and most of the accused denied the charges and said no one had been forced to die. One co-accused pleaded guilty, while Mackenzie also faces separate cases involving other alleged offences connected to the group.
Families of the victims are still seeking answers, as the 191 murder convictions do not cover every death linked to the site. A Kenyan human-rights investigation cited by the BBC said local administrative and law-enforcement officials had repeatedly failed to act on the group's activities, despite earlier warnings.
The sentence may bring some measure of justice to victims' families, but more than 400 bodies were recovered from the forest. Mackenzie's activities and the scale of the tragedy have raised concerns about how his group was allowed to operate for so long without facing consequences.
The case has drawn attention to the issue of religious extremism in Kenya, and the need for authorities to take action against groups that pose a risk to public safety. The 200-year sentence handed to Mackenzie sends a strong message that such crimes will not be tolerated.
Key points
- Kenyan cult leader Paul Mackenzie sentenced to 200 years in prison for 191 murders.
- Mackenzie's group, Good News International Church, directed followers to fast to death in order to "meet Jesus".
- More than 400 bodies were recovered from Shakahola forest, with the majority being children.
