Kenyan Court Convicts Paul Mackenzie and 30 Others in Shakahola Cult Murders
On Monday, a court in Kenya found Paul Mackenzie and approximately 30 others guilty of murder concerning the deaths of 190 children and one adult linked to a starvation cult in southeastern Kenya. Sentencing for Mackenzie and his co-defendants is set for November 6. Mackenzie was arrested in 2023 after police received a tip, leading to the discovery of bodies in shallow graves in the Shakahola Forest weeks later. Prosecutors claim that Mackenzie, leading the Good News International Church, directed his followers to starve themselves and their children in a bid to ascend to heaven before the apocalypse. Over 400 bodies have been unearthed from mass graves in Shakahola Forest, marking this incident as one of the most tragic cult-related events in recent global history.
Key facts
- Paul Mackenzie and about 30 others were found guilty of murder by a Kenyan court on Monday
- The convictions cover the deaths of 190 children and one adult
- Sentencing is set for November 6
- Mackenzie was arrested in 2023 after a police tip-off
- Bodies were found in shallow graves in the Shakahola Forest near the coast in southeastern Kenya
- Prosecutors say Mackenzie's Good News International Church organized a Christian doomsday sect
- Followers were ordered to starve themselves and their children to death to reach heaven before the world ended
- More than 400 bodies have been recovered from mass graves at Shakahola Forest discovered more than three years ago
Entities
Artists
- Paul Mackenzie
Institutions
- Good News International Church
Locations
- Kenya
- Shakahola Forest