A Kenyan court has convicted controversial preacher Paul Mackenzie and 28 other defendants over the deaths of 191 people, including 190 children, in one of the country’s most shocking religious cult tragedies.
The verdict was delivered on Monday, October 19, 2026, by a court in the coastal city of Mombasa, following a lengthy trial over the deaths linked to Mackenzie’s religious group, which allegedly instructed followers to starve themselves and their children to gain entry into heaven.
Mackenzie, founder of the Good News International Church, had maintained that he did not force anyone to starve to death. However, the court rejected the defence presented by the accused and found them guilty of murder.
Justice Diana Kavedza Mochache delivered an eight-hour judgment detailing the circumstances surrounding the deaths and the evidence presented during the trial.
The judge heard that Mackenzie’s followers regarded him as a spiritual authority whose instructions were to be obeyed. Prosecutors argued that the preacher used extreme religious teachings to convince members that death through fasting would enable them to meet Jesus before the predicted end of the world.
The court also heard disturbing accounts of violence against those who resisted the fasting directives. One of the co-accused reportedly told the court that followers who refused to comply were to be forced through physical violence.
How the Shakahola tragedy unfolded
The case attracted international attention in 2023 after authorities uncovered mass graves in Shakahola Forest, near the coastal town of Malindi in Kenya.
Police began investigating after receiving reports of people dying in the forest. Subsequent searches revealed numerous shallow graves containing the remains of adults and children.
More than 400 bodies have since been recovered from the area, although Monday’s murder verdict covered 191 deaths. Investigations and separate legal proceedings involving other deaths have continued.
Prosecutors alleged that Mackenzie and members of the group’s leadership organized a system of extreme fasting, with children among those targeted first.
Evidence presented in court indicated that some children were isolated and denied food while their parents watched. Investigators also documented cases in which victims showed signs of injuries consistent with violence, in addition to starvation.
The findings raised serious questions about how such a large-scale tragedy could occur without earlier intervention from authorities.
Religious teachings allegedly prohibited schools and hospitals
Mackenzie established the Good News International Church in 2003 and attracted thousands of followers through his preaching and religious broadcasts.
His teachings reportedly discouraged formal education and medical treatment, which he portrayed as contrary to his religious beliefs. Some followers were also discouraged from using medicines, even when they were seriously ill.
After the church’s main premises were shut down in 2019, Mackenzie relocated his activities to Shakahola Forest, where followers established isolated settlements.
Survivors later described living in basic shelters and following strict religious practices. Some said they believed Mackenzie’s teachings and continued to trust him even after experiencing severe hardship.
The court heard accounts of followers becoming dangerously weak from starvation, while some victims reportedly died before help could reach them.
Families welcome verdict after years of anguish
The conviction has brought renewed attention to the suffering of families whose relatives disappeared or died after joining the religious group.
Some victims’ relatives travelled to Mombasa to witness the proceedings, hoping the verdict would deliver a measure of justice after years of uncertainty and grief.
The tragedy has also intensified calls for stronger oversight of religious organizations in Kenya, where faith plays a significant role in public life.
Critics have questioned why Mackenzie was able to continue operating despite previous encounters with law enforcement. The case has prompted wider discussions about protecting vulnerable people from religious exploitation while respecting freedom of worship.
Mackenzie and his co-defendants had pleaded not guilty to the murder charges. The preacher also faces separate legal proceedings relating to other alleged offences and deaths connected to the group.
The defendants are expected to be sentenced on November 6, 2026.
The Shakahola tragedy remains one of the deadliest cases of religious extremism in recent history, highlighting the devastating consequences that can arise when vulnerable followers are subjected to dangerous teachings and coercive control.
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