Shakahola Verdict: Paul Mackenzie Learns His Fate After Deadliest Cult Case in Kenya’s History

High Court Judge Diana Kavedza-Mochache on Friday sentenced Paul Nthenge Mackenzie to 200 years in prison over the murder of 191 people in Shakahola Forest.

The victims included 190 children and one adult, whose deaths were linked to a system of forced fasting and direct killings.

The sentence was delivered at the High Court in Mombasa, where Mackenzie had been convicted alongside 28 co-accused last month.

The court divided Mackenzie’s sentence into two 100-year terms, covering deaths caused by starvation and victims who were directly killed.

The two terms will run consecutively, meaning he must serve one after the other rather than at the same time.

Court findings showed that 183 victims died through starvation, while eight children were murdered through direct violence.

Mackenzie led the Good News International Church and directed followers to fast in the belief that doing so would bring them closer to Jesus.

The court found that the fasting was organised and enforced, with children made to go without food before other members.

The deaths occurred between January 2021 and September 2023 at Shakahola Forest in Kilifi County.

The case came to public attention in 2023 after authorities began uncovering bodies buried in shallow graves across the forest.

More than 400 bodies have since been recovered from sites associated with the group, although the murder trial covered 191 deaths.

Prosecutors had asked the court to impose the death penalty on Mackenzie because of the number of victims and the seriousness of the offences.

However, Justice Kavedza-Mochache imposed a lengthy prison sentence instead of the punishment sought by the prosecution.

Mackenzie’s 28 co-accused were also sentenced, receiving prison terms ranging from 10 to 160 years for their roles in the murders.

The court relied on witness accounts, digital material and forensic evidence during the trial.

The sentencing marks a major development in the Shakahola case, while investigations and other proceedings concerning the wider tragedy continue.

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