A Kenyan court has sentenced cult leader Paul Mackenzie to 200 years in prison for the murders of 190 children and one adult in the Shakahola starvation-cult case.
The High Court in Mombasa imposed the sentence on Friday, 6 November, after Mackenzie and 28 co-defendants were convicted last month on 191 murder counts.
The sentence combined two consecutive 100-year terms: one covering 183 deaths attributed to enforced starvation and another covering eight direct homicides, according to reports from Associated Press, Reuters and Kenya’s KBC.
Court found an organised system of enforced fasting
Mackenzie founded the Good News International Church and relocated followers to a remote settlement in Shakahola Forest, Kilifi County.
The court found that he directed an organised system of fasting in which children were targeted first. Guards prevented followers from leaving and people who attempted to eat, drink or escape were beaten, restrained or confined, according to the judgment as summarised by Kenya’s Directorate of Criminal Investigations.
Mackenzie denied forcing followers to starve. The court rejected that defence and found him primarily responsible for the system that resulted in the deaths.
Co-defendants also sentenced
Twenty-eight co-defendants, including people convicted of enforcing the fasting directives or helping conceal graves, received prison terms ranging from 10 to 160 years.
Mackenzie’s lawyer said the sentence would be appealed. The defendants have the right to challenge the convictions and sentences through Kenya’s appeals process.
More than 400 bodies recovered
The investigation began in 2023 after police discovered bodies buried in shallow graves at the Shakahola site. More than 400 bodies were eventually recovered, although the proceedings concluded on Friday concerned the murders of 191 people.
Many of the recovered victims have not been identified. BaretaNews is withholding unnecessary identifying details in recognition of the privacy and dignity of the children and affected families.
The case has renewed scrutiny of how Kenyan authorities regulate religious organisations and respond to warning signs of abuse.
