The leader of a Christian cult in Kenya has been found guilty of the murder of 190 children under an “organised system” used to enforce “deadly fasting” among followers.
Paul Mackenzie was convicted on Monday along with about 30 other suspects over the deaths of 191 people – all but one of them children – in Shakahola forest in eastern Kenya.
Mackenzie, who is in his early 50s, and his co-accused were charged with the murders in 2024 after hundreds of children’s bodies were exhumed the forest, where Mackenzie and his associates were accused of running a death cult.
Paul Mackenzie arriving at court in 2023. Credit: AP
The court found the deaths resulted from an “organised system in which religious teachings and an established hierarchy were used to direct and enforce deadly fasting among Mackenzie’s followers,” the office of the director of public prosecutions in Kenya said.
“Fasting was implemented sequentially, beginning with children, while guards controlled movement and prevented followers from escaping,” the office added.
Authorities started digging up bodies in Shakahola forest in April 2023, and so far they have recovered 429 bodies, meaning more charges could follow.
Mackenzie, who ran the Good News International Church, was accused of leading a doomsday cult where he instructed his followers to starve themselves and their children to death so they could reach heaven and meet Jesus, ITV News’ North American partner CNN previously reported.
Autopsy results showed that many of the recovered bodies had died from starvation while others had signs of blunt trauma and strangulation.
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