MOMBASA, Kenya, Nov. 6, 2026 — A Kenyan cult leader has been sentenced to 200 years in prison for the murders of 190 children and one adult in a mass starvation tragedy that shocked the East African nation.
Paul Mackenzie, founder of the Good News International Church, was sentenced Friday by the High Court in Mombasa after being convicted of 191 counts of murder.
The court found that Mackenzie persuaded his followers to abandon their homes and relocate to the remote Shakahola Forest, where he instructed them to fast to death in the belief that they would meet Jesus Christ and enter heaven.
Justice Diana Kavedza imposed two consecutive 100-year prison terms, one for murders committed through starvation and another for direct killings.
According to the court, 183 victims died from starvation, while eight children were suffocated, strangled or beaten to death.
Among the victims were 161 children aged 9 or younger, highlighting the scale of the abuse carried out under Mackenzie’s religious teachings.
Investigators found that guards prevented followers from leaving the forest, while children who attempted to eat or escape were restrained and punished.
Mackenzie had preached that the world would end in August 2023 and instructed followers to prepare for heaven through fasting. Children were expected to die first, followed by women and younger adults, while men were to remain alive long enough to bury the dead.
The case emerged in 2023 when authorities discovered mass graves in the Shakahola Forest. More than 400 bodies were eventually recovered, making the tragedy one of the deadliest cult-related disasters in recent history.
Mackenzie was convicted alongside 28 followers, including guards accused of enforcing the fasting orders and individuals who helped bury victims in shallow graves.
His assistant pastor, Smart Mwakalama, received a 160-year prison sentence.
The prosecution had sought the death penalty for Mackenzie, but the court instead imposed a lengthy prison term.
Mackenzie has denied forcing his followers to starve, and his legal team has indicated plans to appeal.
He also faces separate criminal proceedings involving terrorism, child abuse and torture allegations.
The tragedy has prompted renewed calls for stronger oversight of religious organizations in Kenya, particularly after questions emerged about whether authorities had ignored earlier warnings about Mackenzie’s activities.
Sources: Reuters, CNN and The Associated Press.
Source: Antigua News Room Kenyan cult leader sentenced to 200 years in prison for murders of 190 children.