Kenyan cult leader faces verdict over 191 starvation deaths

A Kenyan self-proclaimed pastor, Paul Mackenzie, and his associates face a verdict on Monday in a Mombasa court, accused of orchestrating the 191 starvation deaths of mostly children in an infamous cult known as the Shakahola Forest Massacre. The bodies of hundreds of victims have been uncovered since 2023 at the 800-acre ranch in Shakahola Forest, near the Malindi beach resort. Mackenzie and his associates have pleaded not guilty to 191 counts of murder, as well as manslaughter and terrorism in separate cases.

Mackenzie is alleged to have incited his followers to starve to death in order to meet Jesus, a claim that has sparked outrage and calls for stricter regulations on religious organizations in Kenya. The prosecution alleges that the extreme fasting was part of a structured hierarchy of death, prioritizing the deaths of children, followed by teenagers, women, and men.

Post-mortems and police reports suggest that children primarily died from starvation, while also experiencing asphyxia, neck compression, and traumatic head injuries.

Mackenzie was arrested in April 2023 following a tip-off from a human rights group, leading to the rescue of some followers and the discovery of hundreds of shallow mass graves. The death toll initially estimated at 429 has since risen to over 400. Mackenzie, who established the Good News International Church in 2003, has a history of extremism and had evaded law enforcement for years. He was acquitted of radicalization charges in 2017 but arrested again in 2019 over two child deaths at Shakahola.