Justice · Shakahola, Kilifi County, Kenya · October 19, 2026

Kenyan cult leader Paul Mackenzie convicted of 191 starvation murders

Reported by 5 outlets · first reported Oct 19, 12:08 PM ET

Kenya's High Court found self-proclaimed pastor Paul Mackenzie and all 29 co-accused guilty of murdering 191 people, 190 of them children, linked to starvation in Shakahola Forest. Sentencing is set for 6 November.

Why it matters

The verdict delivers accountability in one of the world's deadliest recent cult-related disasters and may shape regulation of religious groups.

Background

Mackenzie led the Good News International Ministries church and was arrested in 2023 after police were tipped off about deaths in Shakahola Forest. Prosecutors said he urged followers to starve themselves and their children to reach heaven.

The story so far

1. Oct 19Kenyan cult leader Paul Mackenzie convicted of 191 starvation murders
2. Oct 20Kenyan cult leader Mackenzie convicted over 191 starvation deaths
3. Oct 21Kenya cult leader Mackenzie to be sentenced over Shakahola deaths

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Sources

• Al Jazeera ↗Oct 19, 4:31 PM ET
• BBC News ↗Oct 19, 1:18 PM ET
• The Guardian ↗Oct 19, 12:08 PM ET

This summary was written automatically from the reporting linked above; follow the sources for the full story. How One Turn works.

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