Kenya Cult Leader Sentenced to 200 Years in Prison for Followers' Deaths
A court in the coastal city of Mombasa, Kenya, sentenced Paul Mackenzie, leader of the Good News International Church, to 200 years in prison after finding him guilty of the deaths of 190 children and one adult by starvation and direct homicide.
The sentence, issued in November 2026, covers the first 191 cases tried in connection with the tragedy that occurred in the Shakahola forest, where authorities have recovered more than 400 bodies from mass graves since investigations began in 2023.
According to prosecutors, the cult leader ordered his followers to fast to death under the precept that the world was near its end. Investigations also indicate that members suffered physical coercion to comply with these directives.
The case has sparked widespread debate in Kenya regarding the need to establish greater oversight and control mechanisms over religious organizations and cults, given that the group's activities had been detected by authorities years before the mass discovery of the bodies.
- Paul Mackenzie was sentenced to 200 years in prison by a court in Mombasa.
- The conviction includes charges of homicide and deaths resulting from systematic starvation.
- Investigations in the Shakahola forest have recovered more than 400 bodies since 2023.
- The current ruling corresponds to the investigation into 191 of the documented deaths.
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