Gambiaj.com – (MOMBASSA, KENYA) – A Kenyan court has convicted self-proclaimed pastor Paul Mackenzie and 29 co-accused over the deaths of 190 children and an adult whose bodies were among hundreds recovered from mass graves in the Shakahola forest in 2023.
The High Court in Mombasa delivered the verdict on Monday, 19 October, bringing to an end a trial that lasted more than two years and heard evidence from more than 130 witnesses.
Mackenzie, who led the Good News International Church, was accused of instructing followers to undertake extreme fasting in the belief that it would enable them to meet Jesus.
In delivering the nearly nine-hour judgment, the judge said the prosecution had provided sufficient evidence to establish that the deaths were the result of a highly organized structure with Mackenzie at its head.
The court described the organization as a “satanic cult” and said it had a clear hierarchy in which members were assigned different roles. Guards monitored followers while village leaders provided information and helped enforce instructions, the judge said.
Most of the victims died from starvation. Some children were also strangled or suffocated, which the court considered evidence of deliberate efforts to ensure that the deaths occurred.
The case has drawn international attention since authorities uncovered hundreds of bodies in mass graves on land associated with Mackenzie in Kilifi County, on Kenya’s Indian Ocean coast.
The defense rejected the court’s findings. Lawrence Obonyo, a lawyer representing the accused, said the court had focused on public opinion rather than properly considering the evidence presented by the defense.
He argued that fasting had been a personal choice based on deeply held religious beliefs and said the defense intended to appeal the convictions.
For relatives of the victims, however, the verdict brought a measure of relief. Dan Mackenzie, the pastor’s son, said the judgment would help the families move forward after years of suffering.
“I am simply happy that justice has been served,” he said. “My life can start again.”
The court is expected to announce the sentences on 6 November. Although murder remains punishable by death in Kenya, the country has maintained a moratorium on executions, meaning the convicted men are more likely to face life imprisonment.
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