Justice · Mombasa, Kenya · November 7, 2026

Kenyan cult leader sentenced to 200 years

Reported by 13 outlets · first reported Nov 6, 7:03 AM ET

A Kenyan court sentenced Paul Mackenzie to 200 years in prison for murdering 190 children. He ordered followers to starve themselves in a forest so they would meet Jesus. More than 20 co-accused were also sentenced. Reactions were mixed, with some calling the term fair and others saying it did not go far enough.

Why it matters

The verdict closes a case that exposed the deaths of children in the Shakahola forest.

Background

Mackenzie founded the Good News International church. Bodies were found in Shakahola forest in 2023.

The story so far

1. Nov 6Kenyan cult leader Paul Mackenzie sentenced to 200 years
2. Nov 7Kenyan cult leader sentenced to 200 years

Follow the whole story →

Sources

• The Guardian ↗Nov 6, 10:08 AM ET
• RFI ↗Nov 6, 9:38 AM ET
• DW ↗Nov 6, 7:03 AM 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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