Kenyan Preacher Paul Mackenzie Found Guilty of 191 Murders

A Kenyan court has convicted doomsday preacher Paul Mackenzie and 28 co-accused of murdering 191 people, including 190 children, in the Shakahola forest starvation cult tragedy.

The High Court in Malindi delivered the verdict on October 19, 2026, finding that the accused were responsible for an organised system of religious radicalisation and enforced fasting that led to the deaths.

Mackenzie, who led the Good News International Church, taught followers that starving themselves and their children would help them meet Jesus and reach heaven before the end of the world.

The case came to light in 2023 when authorities began uncovering bodies in shallow graves in Shakahola forest, in Kenya’s coastal Kilifi County.

More than 400 bodies have since been recovered from the area, although the latest judgment relates to 191 deaths. Investigations into other deaths are continuing.

The court rejected the defence argument that the victims had voluntarily fasted to death. Evidence presented during the trial showed that children were subjected to the fasting regime, with some isolated and denied food.

Mackenzie and his co-accused had denied the murder charges.

The convictions mark a major development in one of Kenya’s most disturbing cases involving religious extremism and mass deaths. The accused are scheduled to be sentenced on November 6, 2026.

Photo Source: Simon Maina, AFP