Self-proclaimed pastor Paul Mackenzie has been sentenced to 200 years in prison for murdering 190 children and one adult in what has been dubbed the “Shakahola Forest Massacre.” The cult leader urged his followers to starve themselves and their children to death to reach heaven before the world ended.
Massacre at Shakahola Forest
Since 2023, hundreds of bodies have been found near the coastal resort of Malindi. Mackenzie was found guilty last month of the murder of 190 children and one adult. He also faces separate manslaughter and terrorism charges, which he denies.
Prosecutors stated that Mackenzie “initiated and directed” extreme fasting at the compound and created a “structured hierarchy of death” requiring children to die first, followed by teenagers, women, and then men. Post-mortems and police reports show that children died from starvation, asphyxia, neck compression, and traumatic head injury, among other causes.
Prosecution and Sentencing
The Office of the Director of Public Prosecutions has urged the court to sentence Mackenzie to death. The death penalty is legal in Kenya, but the country has not carried out a state execution since 1987. Deputy Director of Public Prosecutions Jami Yamina said: "The prosecution supports the imposition of capital punishment for Mackenzie, subject to consideration of his mitigation, remorse, regret and prospects of rehabilitation."
Francis Wanje, 62, who lost two grandchildren in the cult massacre, has called for Mackenzie to be sentenced to death. Wanje stated: “Nothing can ease the pain,” and blamed authorities for failing to act faster. He added: “I really have great (anger) towards the authorities. If they had taken action, we would not be here today.”
Background and Aftermath
The Kenya National Commission on Human Rights believes as many as 429 starved themselves to death as part of the cult ritual. Some victims remain unidentified. Police were first alerted when a human rights group rescued some followers, after which hundreds of shallow mass graves were uncovered. The death toll was so high that local morgues ran out of space and excavations had to pause.
Mackenzie founded the Good News International Church in 2003 and opened branches in Nairobi and along Kenya’s coast, attracting thousands of followers. He claims the church closed in 2019. The case has triggered calls for tighter regulation of religious organisations, following revelations that Mackenzie had been arrested and released twice in the past.
