Kenyan Cult Leader Mackenzie, 28 Others Convicted Over Deaths of 190 Children

A Kenyan court has convicted self-proclaimed preacher Paul Nthenge Mackenzie and 28 others of murdering 191 people, including 190 children, in a starvation cult case linked to the discovery of hundreds of bodies in Shakahola Forest.

Justice Diana Kavedza Mochache delivered the judgment at the High Court in Mombasa on Monday, October 19, 2026, finding the defendants guilty over deaths associated with the activities of Mackenzie’s Good News International Church.

According to the Kenya Broadcasting Corporation, the court found that the deaths resulted from an organised system in which religious teachings and a hierarchy within the group were used to direct and enforce fasting among followers.

The judge said the fasting regime was communicated through religious leaders and village elders, reinforced at meetings and implemented in stages, beginning with children. Guards were also used to restrict movement and prevent followers from escaping, the court found.

Mackenzie and his co-defendants had denied the murder charges, maintaining that the victims were not forced to starve to death.

However, the court rejected the defence’s argument that the victims had voluntarily participated in the fasting. Evidence presented during the trial included witness testimonies, digital recordings, medical and forensic reports, DNA analysis and other physical exhibits.

The prosecution called 123 witnesses in the case, according to the Kenya Broadcasting Corporation.

How the Shakahola deaths were uncovered

The case became one of Kenya’s most disturbing criminal investigations in April 2023, when authorities began recovering bodies from shallow graves in Shakahola Forest, in Kilifi County, near the coastal town of Malindi.

Mackenzie was arrested after concerns were raised about the deaths of followers who had reportedly been encouraged to fast in preparation for the end of the world.

Prosecutors said Mackenzie and members of his church promoted apocalyptic teachings, encouraging followers to starve themselves and their children to reach heaven before the world ended.

Relatives of victims also told investigators that the preacher discouraged formal education and modern medicine, portraying them as contrary to his religious teachings.

The discovery of the graves prompted a major investigation and raised questions about how the group had continued operating despite earlier encounters with law enforcement.

According to Reuters, police had investigated Mackenzie’s activities before the mass deaths came to light. Authorities shut down his church in 2019, after which he moved his operations to Shakahola Forest.

More than 400 bodies recovered

Authorities have recovered more than 400 bodies from Shakahola Forest since the investigation began, although the October 19 judgment concerned 191 deaths.

Reuters reported that many of the bodies, particularly those of children, were severely decomposed, making identification difficult. Only 26 victims had been identified at the time of its report.

The court heard evidence relating to the circumstances in which children were denied food, with Justice Mochache noting that some children were isolated and deprived of food while their parents watched.

The prosecution’s medical evidence attributed some deaths to starvation, while the causes of death in other cases could not be established. Other findings included deaths associated with traumatic head injury, neck compression and asphyxia.

The case has generated questions about religious oversight and the ability of authorities to intervene when religious teachings expose followers, particularly children, to serious harm.

Kenyan President William Ruto acknowledged in 2023 that government agencies should have been able to prevent the deaths and said he accepted responsibility as president, Reuters reported.

Sentencing scheduled for November

Mackenzie and the other convicted defendants are expected to be sentenced on November 6, 2026.

Reuters reported that defence lawyer Lawrence Obonyo, who represented Mackenzie and most of the other defendants, said he had been instructed to appeal the convictions.

Mackenzie also faces separate legal proceedings connected to other alleged offences, including terrorism-related charges. Those proceedings are distinct from the murder convictions delivered on Monday.

The latest judgment covers the 191 deaths addressed in the murder trial, while investigations into other deaths discovered in the area remain ongoing.