In brief
Paul Mackenzie, the charismatic head of the Good News International Ministries, has been found guilty of killing 191 people – all but one child – after ordering followers to starve in the Shakahola forest. The trial revealed a doctrine that rejected education and medicine, branding them as evil and urging followers to fast to ‘meet Jesus’. Alongside 28 co‑leaders, Mackenzie will face sentencing on 6 November, while many victims remain unidentified due to advanced decomposition.
Paul Mackenzie, the charismatic head of Good News International Ministries, has been found guilty of murdering 191 people – all but one of whom were children – after a violent trial in Mombasa.
Mackenzie ordered followers to starve their children to death in the remote Shakahola forest on Kenya’s coast, claiming the deaths would enable the children to "meet Jesus."
His doctrine rejected education and modern medicine, labeling them "evil" and urging followers to abandon drugs and medical treatment.
Twenty‑eight co‑leaders were also convicted of murder, despite denying involvement and insisting no one was forced to die.
Judge Diana Mochache described the followers as believing Mackenzie was "Jesus’s mouthpiece" and that graves in the forest were treated as "weddings," celebrating the deceased for having "wedded Jesus."
Gravediggers reported that many graves contained at least three bodies, many of them infants and toddlers. One witness said a pregnant woman was forbidden from nursing, leading to the infant’s death after 12 days.
Enos Amanya Ngala, former head of security, pleaded guilty and testified against the others.
Mackenzie also faces charges of terrorism, radicalisation and the denial of education.
The investigation began after herdsmen discovered more than 400 shallow graves in Shakahola forest.
Stephen Mwiti, a former cult member, said he was relieved by the verdict. "I am happy that all the murders have been convicted," he told the BBC, holding a photo of his family after his six children had died in the forest.
Mackenzie was arrested in 2023 following the community’s move from Good News International Ministries to Shakahola. The cult had grown quickly, operating a television station, Times TV.
He preached that civilisation was corrupt, encouraging followers to reject education and medicine, and that digital identity cards were a mark of the devil.
After the church shut down in 2019, the community relocated to Shakahola, where followers fasted and ate minimal food while those who fell ill were denied medical aid.
Survivors such as Peter Shukrani testified that many residents had died in the forest. Shukrani said he would have died if he had remained there.
Many remains remain unidentified due to advanced decomposition; court documents refer to "unknown male child" by grave location.
Despite the horror, some survivors, including Shukrani, maintain that Mackenzie was "a good person who cares for me."
His son Dan Paul Mackenzie, however, campaigned for him to be found guilty of mass murder.
The verdict was handed down on 19 October with sentencing scheduled for 6 November.
