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The deaths came to light in 2023, when authorities began uncovering shallow mass graves across the forest, with the overall death toll exceeding 400.
Prosecutors said Mackenzie directed a ‘structured hierarchy of death’ at his Shakahola Forest ranch, where children were to die before teenagers, women and men. (IMAGE: AFP)
For Francis Wanje, the verdict brought a measure of justice, but little relief from a loss that has remained painfully personal.
The 62-year-old Kenyan lost eight members of his family, including his daughter and two grandchildren, in the Shakahola Forest massacre. On Monday, after years of waiting, a court in Mombasa found self-proclaimed pastor Paul Mackenzie and 28 others guilty of murdering 190 children and one adult in a starvation cult.
“I know that my people will not come back again, but at least something has happened,” Wanje said after the verdict. He described the loss as deeply painful, placing his hand over his heart as he spoke.
The case is among Kenya’s most disturbing episodes of religious extremism, exposing how followers of a self-styled preacher were allegedly persuaded to starve themselves and their children to death in the belief that they would meet Jesus.
Mackenzie, who remained impassive in court, was accused of initiating and directing extreme fasting at his 800-acre ranch in Shakahola Forest, inland from the coastal resort of Malindi. The deaths came to light in 2023, when authorities began uncovering shallow mass graves across the forest.
The discovery set off a massive recovery operation. Hundreds of bodies have since been found, with the overall death toll exceeding 400. Some victims remain unidentified.
A ‘Structured Hierarchy Of Death’
At A Glance
A court in Mombasa found self-proclaimed pastor Paul Mackenzie and 28 others guilty of murdering 190 children and one adult.
The prosecution established that Mackenzie directed extreme fasting and a structured hierarchy of death at his ranch in Shakahola Forest.
Judge Diana Kavedza Mochache delivered the verdict, while sentencing has been scheduled for November 6.
Delivering the verdict, judge Diana Kavedza Mochache said the prosecution had proved its case against all 29 accused in the murders of 190 children and one adult.
The prosecution argued that Mackenzie had established a “structured hierarchy of death” at his ranch, under which children were to die first, followed by teenagers, women and finally men.
The court heard evidence of deaths caused by starvation, as well as asphyxia, manual neck compression and traumatic head injuries. Starvation was established as the cause of death in 72 cases. In another 110 cases, severe decomposition meant the cause could not be determined, but the court said circumstantial evidence supported the inference that those victims had also died of starvation.
The judge found that Mackenzie’s church displayed the defining features of a cult, with followers subjected to isolation and domination and encouraged to break intimate family ties. The consequences were particularly devastating for children, some of whom were starved by their own mothers.
“That, in my final analysis, is the evil of radicalisation,” Mochache said. “That which was once unthinkable becomes an act of obedience, and what was once instinctive becomes sin.”
The prosecution’s case was that Mackenzie used religious teachings to persuade his followers to undertake extreme fasting in preparation to meet Jesus. The verdict marked a major development in a case that has raised questions about the regulation of religious organisations in Kenya.
Families Waited Years For Justice
For relatives of the victims, the verdict brought an end to one stage of a long legal process, though it could not undo the losses suffered by their families.
Wanje said he was happy with the outcome but stressed the weight of his grief. He also expressed surprise that the court had reached a verdict after years of waiting, particularly given what he described as the authorities’ initial inaction.
Mackenzie’s estranged son, Dan, 24, was also present in court and briefly expressed relief.
“Justice has happened to the victims,” he said.
The Office of the Director of Public Prosecutions welcomed the verdict as “momentous”. Its director, Renson Ingonga, told reporters that securing convictions on such counts was not something that came easily.
Mackenzie’s defence lawyer, Lawrence Obonyo, called the verdict “perplexing”, saying his clients were surprised and disappointed. He said the defence intended to appeal, expressing confidence that the verdict would be overturned.
Sentencing is expected on November 6.
A Case That Exposed The Dangers Of Unchecked Religious Extremism
Mackenzie was arrested in April 2023 after a rights group alerted authorities and some followers were rescued. The subsequent police operation uncovered hundreds of shallow graves, and the rising number of recovered bodies at one point forced a pause in excavations as local morgues ran out of space.
The Kenya National Commission on Human Rights put the death toll at 429 in 2024, while some victims remain unidentified. In January, Mackenzie was charged in connection with a further 52 bodies found at a nearby village.
The self-styled pastor had been on the authorities’ radar for years. He founded the Good News International Church in 2003 and established branches in Nairobi and along Kenya’s coast, attracting thousands of followers, although he claimed the church had closed in 2019.
He was arrested in 2017 on charges of radicalisation but acquitted. In 2019, he was arrested again in connection with the deaths of two children at Shakahola, but was released on bail.
The massacre triggered calls for stricter oversight of religious organisations, particularly after Mackenzie’s earlier encounters with law enforcement failed to prevent the events that later unfolded in Shakahola.
Mackenzie has also denied charges of manslaughter and terrorism in separate cases. Monday’s verdict concerned the murder charges involving 190 children and one adult; the wider investigation and other proceedings remain separate.
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Ask News18A court in Mombasa found self-proclaimed pastor Paul Mackenzie and 28 other co-accused guilty of murdering 190 children and one adult through starvation and other violent means at his ranch in the Shakahola Forest. Sentencing for the convicted individuals is scheduled for November 6.
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Shankhyaneel Sarkar is a chief sub editor at News18. He covers international affairs, where he focuses on breaking news to in-depth analyses. He has over seven years of experience during which he has …Read More
October 20, 2026, 1:22 pm IST
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