Kenya Cult Leader Paul Mackenzie Convicted of 191 Shakahola Murders

​A Kenyan court has found self-proclaimed doomsday preacher Paul Mackenzie and 28 co-accused individuals guilty of 191 counts of murder, concluding one of the most harrowing mass-casualty cult tragedies in modern history.

​Operating through his Good News International Church, Mackenzie systematically radicalized followers, convincing parents to starve their children and themselves to death so they could “meet Jesus” before an impending apocalypse.

​The Path to Conviction

• ​The Shakahola Graves: Following a tip-off in 2023, authorities uncovered mass shallow graves scattered across the remote Shakahola Forest in Kilifi County. Over 400 bodies, heavily decomposed and including infants only weeks old, were eventually recovered.

• ​Systematic Starvation: Autopsies and court testimonies revealed that victims—frequently isolated and denied sustenance—died primarily from extreme hunger, though evidence also pointed to beatings and suffocation.

• ​The Verdict: Delivering her judgment at the Mombasa Law Courts, High Court Justice Diana Kavedza ruled that the prosecution successfully proved the accused participated in an organized scheme of mass radicalization and enforced fasting, holding them directly responsible for the 191 deaths.

​Sentencing for Mackenzie and his co-defendants is scheduled for November 6.

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​[Shakahola Massacre Court Judgment](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=N99NWJqYptM)

​This video coverage provides an overview of the High Court’s ruling and the legal proceedings surrounding the landmark verdict.