Kenya starvation cult leader found guilty in murder case involving 190 children

Court rules on Shakahola deaths

Justice Diana Kavedza Mochache delivered the judgment after a hearing that lasted more than eight hours. The ruling addressed 191 deaths, including 190 children and one adult; inquiries into additional deaths are continuing.

Mackenzie rejected the murder allegations, saying he had not compelled victims to go without food. The court did not accept his defence.

Prosecutors describe church practices

Prosecutors said Mackenzie and his Good News International Church established a Christian doomsday sect. They alleged followers were instructed to fast, including children, so they could reach heaven before the world ended.

The judge said some children were separated and deprived of food while their parents looked on. Reuters was told by people with direct knowledge of the group that starvation was planned in stages: children first, then women and young men, followed by other men.

Members lived in rudimentary shelters made from polythene and thatch. Mackenzie reportedly divided their settlements into sections bearing biblical names, including Jerusalem and Judea.

Families and wider questions

Relatives of victims attended the hearing at Mombasa High Court. Francis Wanje, 62, said the cult cost him eight relatives, among them two grandchildren. More than 400 bodies have been recovered from Shakahola Forest. The tragedy has drawn attention across Kenya since mass graves were found in the coastal woodland more than three years ago.

Authorities and further charges

Police searched Mackenzie’s premises in 2017, and authorities closed his church in 2019, police said. He later moved to Shakahola Forest, and relatives said he advanced the date he had predicted the world would end after he was released on bail.

Police arrested him again in April 2023 and began more systematic searches and exhumations. Mackenzie also faces other allegations linked to the deaths, including terrorism-related charges, which he denies.

The case has prompted calls for stricter supervision of churches and other religious organisations. Faith has a prominent place in Kenyan public life, adding to debate over oversight.