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Kenyan starvation cult leader guilty of murder of 190 children and one adult
The Guardian • • general
Key Points:
- Kenyan court found cult leader Paul Mackenzie and about 30 others guilty of murder for the deaths of 190 children and one adult in a starvation cult linked to the Good News International Church.
- Mackenzie organized a doomsday sect that ordered followers to starve themselves and their children to death to reach heaven before the world ended, a claim he denied but was rejected by the court.
- Over 400 bodies have been recovered from shallow graves in the Shakahola forest since 2023, with ongoing investigations into additional deaths beyond the 191 covered in the judgment.
- The tragedy exposed failures in government oversight, prompting calls for stricter regulation of religious organizations in Kenya, where faith plays a significant public role.
- Mackenzie faces additional charges, including terrorism-related offenses, for directing further deaths while in detention, which he also denies.
