Kenyan Cult Leader Paul Mackenzie Faces Verdict in Mass Starvation Trial of 191 Victims, Mostly Children

A court in Mombasa, Kenya, is preparing to deliver a verdict in the trial of self-proclaimed pastor Paul Nthenge Mackenzie and his associates. They are accused of the murder of 191 individuals, with all but one being children. Mackenzie and his followers face murder charges, stemming from allegations that the cult coerced children into starving themselves to “meet Jesus”. The accused have pleaded not guilty to these charges, as well as to other accusations including terrorism, radicalisation, and obstructing children's education.

Paul Mackenzie, the former head of the apocalyptic Good News International Ministries, founded the organisation with his wife in 2003 in Malindi. Prior to this, he worked as a taxi driver in Nairobi. The church amassed thousands of followers across Kenya, drawn to Mackenzie’s fervent sermons broadcast on the church’s television station, Times TV. He reportedly claimed divine communication, persuading followers to sell their possessions for the church. Mackenzie’s teachings included doomsday prophecies, denouncing education as “evil” and forbidding children from attending school. He also discouraged the use of medication, deeming it contrary to religious “doctrine”, and encouraged followers to destroy birth certificates and digital IDs. His rhetoric was also anti-Western, criticising the United States, the United Nations, and the Catholic Church.

Authorities began investigating Mackenzie’s activities in the late 2010s. Following the closure of his church and TV station in 2019, he relocated to the Shakahola forest in Kilifi County. Some devotees followed him, establishing a settlement in mud houses within the forest.

In 2023, a tip-off from an individual whose wife and daughter had joined Mackenzie in the forest prompted a police investigation. This led to the discovery of shallow mass graves in the Shakahola forest, linked to the cult. Investigators also found numerous emaciated survivors. Some survivors reported that Mackenzie had instructed them to starve themselves to “meet Jesus”. The majority of the exhumed bodies were those of children. Authorities indicated that some victims died from strangulation or blunt force trauma, and that individuals attempting to leave the cult were attacked. Others were found bound. In total, 429 deaths have been reported, with many succumbing to injuries or starvation in hospitals. Hundreds remain missing.

Mackenzie himself is not believed to have participated in the starvation. Survivors stated that his orders dictated that children should starve first, followed by unmarried women, men, and finally, church leaders. Prosecutors allege Mackenzie orchestrated a mass starvation campaign resulting in these deaths. In January 2024, Mackenzie was formally charged with 191 counts of murder, and his church was designated an “organised criminal group”.

Mackenzie and 34 other individuals, including senior church leaders, were arrested and charged with murder and terrorism-related offenses. Enos Amanya Ngala, Mackenzie’s former head of security, pleaded guilty and agreed to testify for the prosecution. During a 2024 hearing at the Kenya High Court, the court suggested reducing the charges to 12 to expedite the legal process. Mackenzie and his co-accused maintained their innocence. Initially, 65 rescued victims were charged with attempted suicide, a crime punishable by two years in prison in Kenya. However, a court in Mombasa ordered them to be placed in a rescue centre for monitoring, as many reportedly refused food. While in custody, Mackenzie was implicated in an additional 52 deaths, with officials claiming he continued to lure victims through notes written from his prison cell.