A Kenyan pastor told his followers to starve their children so they could ‘meet Jesus.’ Now a judge has convicted him of murdering 190 of them

A Kenyan court found starvation cult leader Paul Mackenzie and about 30 others guilty of murdering 190 children and one adult. This judgment marks a significant development in one of the worst cult-related disasters in recent history, with the court scheduled to hand down the sentences soon.

As reported by the NY Post, Justice Diana Kavedza Mochache delivered the judgment during a hearing that lasted more than eight hours. She detailed how children were isolated and denied food while their parents watched, confirming the prosecution’s claims that Mackenzie and his Good News International Church operated a Christian doomsday sect. 

The group reportedly ordered followers to starve themselves and their children to reach heaven before the world ended. Mackenzie sat in court wearing a striped polo shirt and red trousers alongside his wife, who is also a co-accused. He stood silently and stared into space when the judge read his name.

He targeted children first 

The Shakahola Forest, located near the coast in southeastern Kenya, became a site of horror after police received a tip-off in 2023. Authorities began uncovering bodies in shallow graves shortly after, and the total number of recovered remains has since climbed to more than 400. 

Many of the bodies were severely decomposed, and only 26 have been identified so far. The judgment specifically addressed 191 of these deaths, though investigations into the remaining cases continue.

People with direct knowledge of the cult told investigators that Mackenzie planned the starvation in three phases. He reportedly targeted children first, followed by women and young men, and finally the remaining men.

Mackenzie, a former taxi driver, also forbade his followers from sending their children to school or visiting hospitals. He branded these institutions as Satanic. Followers reportedly lived in makeshift homes constructed from polythene sheeting and thatch in areas Mackenzie named after biblical locations like Jerusalem and Judea.

The tragedy has gripped Kenya since the graves were discovered. Many are asking how Mackenzie managed to operate for so long despite being on the radar of authorities since 2017. 

Police searched his premises that year, and authorities eventually shut down his church in 2019, which led him to relocate to the Shakahola Forest. President William Ruto reportedly said in 2023 that government agencies should have prevented these deaths and that he took responsibility as president.

Francis Wanje, 62,  reportedly lost eight family members, including two grandchildren, to the cult. Before the verdict, he said: “It has been really a heavy thing (for) us as a family, and it has really taken us very far in terms of psychological problems, … I hoping for this particular day.”

Mackenzie denied the murder charges and argued that he did not force the victims to starve, but the court rejected this defense. He still faces other charges related to the forest deaths, including terrorism-related counts, which he also denies. Furthermore, prosecutors allege that he directed the deaths of 52 people in Kwa Binzaro village, which is located about 30 km from Shakahola, while he was in detention. He has pleaded not guilty to those charges as well.