A Kenyan court is preparing to issue a judgment in a mass murder case against Paul Mackenzie, a doomsday preacher, and 29 of his followers. The defendants are charged with the deaths of 191 individuals, with 190 of them being children. According to allegations, the cult practiced forced starvation as a religious practice, with members believing this would allow followers to “meet Jesus.” The group’s doctrine forbade education and modern medicine, considering both to be contrary to their beliefs. All 30 defendants have entered not guilty pleas, denying that anyone was coerced into dying. One former cult member, Enos Amanya Ngala who served as Mackenzie’s head of security, agreed to a plea deal and has become a prosecution witness.
Authorities uncovered more than 400 bodies in shallow graves within Shakahola forest near Kenya’s coast, where Mackenzie directed his operation. Local gravediggers hired to excavate the remains reported discovering multiple bodies per grave, including infants and children with their limbs bound and bodies wrapped in fabric. The cult attracted followers from throughout Kenya to the forest settlement. Mackenzie established Good News International Ministries in 2003 and operated a television station called Times TV that broadcast his sermons from Malindi, where his main church building operated until 2019. His teachings promoted conspiracy theories, characterizing education as evil, healthcare as harmful, and modern identification systems as demonic.
The discovery of the remains occurred in March 2023 when local herders found the gravesites. Some survivors were rescued from the forest in severely malnourished and ill condition. Despite the documented deaths and suffering, some former followers maintain positive views of Mackenzie. Beyond the current murder charges, Mackenzie and other cult leaders face additional legal proceedings involving terrorism charges, radicalization allegations, and accusations of preventing children from accessing education.
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