Kenyan cult leader found guilty of murdering 191 followers, including children

A Kenyan court has found self-proclaimed pastor Paul Nthenge Mackenzie guilty of 191 counts of murder, predominantly involving children, following a mass starvation within his Good News International Church. The verdict was delivered on October 19, 2026, in Mombasa. Mackenzie and 28 of his associates were convicted for orchestrating the deaths by instructing followers to starve themselves and their children to "meet Jesus" before the world's end.

The horrific events unfolded in the Shakahola Forest in southeastern Kenya, where police began uncovering bodies in shallow graves in 2023 after a tip-off. Autopsies revealed that while starvation was the primary cause of death, some victims also suffered from blunt trauma, strangulation, and asphyxiation. Investigations into the tragedy have so far unearthed over 400 bodies, prompting widespread calls for stricter regulation of religious organizations in Kenya.

Mackenzie, who denied forcing anyone to starve, was arrested in 2023 and had previously been on the authorities' radar since 2017. The court dismissed his defense, concluding that he initiated and directed the extreme fasting. Sentencing for Mackenzie and his co-accused is scheduled for November 6, 2026.