Court Finds Christian Religious Leader Guilty of Starving Over 190 Children to Death Under the Promise of Meeting Jesus

A Kenyan court has found a Christian leader guilty in a case involving the deaths of 190 children, caused by forced fasting and abuse.
The Mombasa High Court found religious leader Paul Mackenzie and about 30 other defendants guilty in connection with the deaths of 191 people in the Shakahola Forest in eastern Kenya.
Paul Mackenzie was the leader of a religious organization known as the "Good News International Church."

According to reports, he instructed his followers and their children to starve themselves to death alongside their family members in order to reach heaven and meet Jesus.
All but one of the deceased were children. The prosecution has described this as one of the most significant criminal cases in Kenyan history.
CNN reports that, according to the Office of the Director of Public Prosecutions in Kenya, the court found that Mackenzie employed a calculated system—involving religious teachings and a strict hierarchy—to enforce a lethal fasting regimen among his followers, which led to the deaths.
The prosecution office stated that the forced fasting began with the children. Guards controlled the movements of the followers, ensuring that no one could escape. Court proceedings also revealed that Mackenzie opposed modern medicine and formal education.

It is alleged that Mackenzie—who is over 50 years old—and his co-accused operated a "death cult" in the Shakahola Forest. Murder charges were filed against them following the discovery of hundreds of bodies at the site.
Authorities began search and excavation operations in the Shakahola Forest in April 2023 to locate the bodies. So far, 429 bodies have been recovered. There is a possibility that additional charges may be brought against the accused in connection with the case.
According to a post-mortem report released on Monday by Justice Diana Kavedza, some of the victims did not die from starvation. The report indicates that causes of death for some individuals included suffocation, pressure applied to the neck, and head injuries.

Mackenzie’s lawyer, Lawrence Obonyo, told reporters on Monday that his client maintains that no one was forced to fast, and that those who died had chosen to do so of their own free will. He further stated that the defense team has decided to appeal the court's decision. In a judgment spanning over eight hours, the judge explained that Mackenzie used sermons and written messages to convince his followers that the outside world was filled with evil and that salvation could only be attained by relocating to the forest.
The judge noted that evidence recovered from Mackenzie’s mobile phone included communications and WhatsApp messages exchanged with his followers before they moved to Shakahola. The court further observed that Mackenzie had coerced his followers into abandoning their homes, families, and livelihoods to move into the forest.

The judge also detailed how those who refused to comply with the directive to fast were forced to do so. Children were held captive and denied food. The Director of Public Prosecutions stated that children who attempted to eat or escape were subjected to punishment.