Kenya cult leader Mackenzie jailed for 200 years over 191 starvation murders, almost all of them children

A Kenyan court has sentenced doomsday cult leader Paul Mackenzie to 200 years in prison for the murder of 191 people, all but one of them children, who were instructed to starve to death.

In the court in Mombasa, Justice Diana Mochache handed down the sentence. Mackenzie was convicted alongside 27 others of the murders, committed by instructing cult members to starve their children to death so they could "meet Jesus".

The judge said Mackenzie bore the "primary criminal culpability" for ordering his followers to fast to death, in one of Kenya's deadliest episodes of religious extremism. "The sentence is appropriate and just, to send an unmistakable message that such atrocities warrant the maximum penalties allowed by law," she added.

Ahead of sentencing, prosecutors had argued for the death penalty for Mackenzie because of the gravity of the crimes. Capital punishment has not been carried out in Kenya since 1987. The prosecutors also cited Mackenzie's lack of remorse and requested life sentences for his co-accused.

Mackenzie and the co-accused formally pleaded for mercy and leniency. Before their conviction on 19 October, however, they had all pleaded not guilty and repeatedly insisted that nobody was forced to die.

The self-styled pastor was arrested in 2023 after the discovery of more than 400 bodies in shallow graves in Shakahola forest near the Kenyan coast. The sprawling investigation shocked Kenya and drew international attention.

The judge said Mackenzie's followers believed he was "Jesus's mouthpiece", and those who opposed his teachings were beaten to death. One co-accused said followers had been told that anyone who resisted the directive to fast "must be forced to go to heaven through kicks and blows".

Burials inside the forest were called "weddings" and those who died "were celebrated as having wedded with Jesus", the judge said. The deaths arose from an organised system of religious teachings and directives that compelled followers to follow the deadly fasting.

Post-mortem results showed starvation was the cause of death for most victims, while others died from suffocation, strangulation or head injuries. For some, the cause of death could not be determined because the bodies had decomposed; others died soon after their rescue, being severely emaciated.

Francis Wanje, who lost eight relatives in Shakahola forest including two grandchildren, said before the hearing that he was hoping for a sentence matching Mackenzie's deeds. Wanje had reported the case to the police in March 2023 and expected them to act immediately to rescue the others, but that did not happen. A relative of his in the police force and a former cult participant later managed to save his grandson, who told the police what had happened and showed them the grave of his siblings.

Investigations by the state-funded Kenya National Commission on Human Rights (KNCHR) revealed that local administration and law enforcement officials had repeatedly turned a blind eye to the cult's activities. The gravity of the case prompted President William Ruto to set up a commission of inquiry, although this was later declared unconstitutional.

Mackenzie established Good News International Ministries in 2003. Over the next 16 years the church grew in popularity, drawing thousands of followers at branches across Kenya, and a television station called Times TV broadcast his sermons from his church in Malindi. His End Days sermons described education as "evil", healthcare as "against the doctrine" and digital identity cards as "the mark of the devil". The main church shut down in 2019 and Mackenzie moved to Shakahola forest, encouraging his devotees to follow him.

While the murder cases are concluded, the convictions account for only 191 victims, whereas more than 400 bodies were exhumed from the forest. Mackenzie and other cult leaders also face a raft of other cases, including for terrorism, radicalisation and denying education to children.