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Kenyan cult leader guilty on all charges over 191 starvation deaths

MOMBASA, Kenya — A self-proclaimed Kenyan preacher and his associates were on Monday found guilty of murdering 190 children and one adult in an infamous starvation cult. Hundreds of bodies have been discovered since 2023 at the cult base inland from the Kenyan beach resort of Malindi, in what became known as the "Shakahola Forest Massacre". Self-proclaimed pastor Paul Mackenzie was alleged to…

Kenyan cult leader guilty on all charges over 191 starvation deaths

Mombasa, Kenya - A self-proclaimed Kenyan preacher and 28 associates were found guilty of killing 190 children and one adult in a notorious starvation cult, according to prosecutors. The victims were allegedly starved to death in the belief that it would bring them closer to Jesus, a claim the preacher and his followers faced in an open-air courtroom in Mombasa on Monday.

Judge Diana Kavedza Mochache declared that the prosecution had successfully proven the case against all 29 accused individuals for the murder of 190 children and one adult. The Office of the Director of Public Prosecutions hailed the landmark verdict, emphasizing the rarity of securing such convictions. Since the discovery of the bodies in 2023, the total count of victims has surged well above 400, including children, women, and men.

The cult, led by self-proclaimed pastor Paul Mackenzie, operated in the Shakahola Forest, located inland from the coastal resort town of Malindi.

Written by urgent.news from The Korea Times's reporting — not their text. Machine-written — may contain errors; check the original before relying on it.

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