Kenyan Cult Leader Paul Mackenzie Jailed 200 Years Over 191 Murders

A Kenyan court has sentenced controversial cult leader Paul Mackenzie to 200 years in prison for the murder of 191 people, including 190 children, in the deadly Shakahola Forest religious fasting tragedy.

Mackenzie, founder of the Good News International Church, was sentenced on Friday, November 6, 2026, by the High Court in Mombasa, following his conviction on 191 counts of murder.

Justice Diana Kavedza Mochache imposed two separate 100-year prison terms on the self-proclaimed pastor, with the sentences to run consecutively.

The first 100-year term was for deaths resulting from starvation, while the second was for victims who were directly killed through acts including suffocation, strangulation and physical violence.

Prosecutors accused Mackenzie of manipulating his followers into abandoning their homes and relocating to Shakahola Forest, where they were instructed to fast to death in the belief that doing so would bring them closer to Jesus Christ and prepare them for heaven.

The court found that the fasting was enforced through intimidation, beatings, confinement and other forms of abuse. Children were reportedly among those denied food and prevented from escaping the deadly practice.

The Shakahola tragedy came to public attention in 2023 after authorities began uncovering mass graves in the forest in southeastern Kenya. Investigators subsequently recovered more than 400 bodies, making the incident one of the country’s deadliest cult-related disasters.

Mackenzie and 28 co-defendants were convicted in October 2026 over the deaths of the 191 victims. Several of his accomplices were also handed lengthy prison sentences.

The court rejected Mackenzie’s defence that he did not force his followers to starve, holding him responsible for the deaths linked to his religious teachings and directives.

The tragedy has sparked widespread outrage in Kenya, with renewed calls for stricter regulation of religious organisations and greater accountability for authorities who failed to prevent the mass deaths.

Mackenzie is also facing separate legal proceedings over other deaths allegedly linked to the cult’s activities.

The sentencing marks a major development in the ongoing efforts to secure justice for the victims and their families.