Kenyan court convicts cult leader over deaths of 190 children
Paul Mackenzie has been found guilty in one of Kenya’s largest criminal cases of recent years.
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A court in Kenya has found cult leader Paul Mackenzie guilty over the deaths of 190 children. The ruling follows the case involving Good News International Ministries and events in Shakahola.
The ruling was delivered on Monday by the High Court in Mombasa. Mackenzie stood trial alongside dozens of co-defendants in a case in which prosecutors held him responsible for 191 deaths; all but one of the victims were children.
According to The Standard, the judge concluded that Mackenzie had moved people to the Shakahola area and given instructions that contributed to the deaths. The court held him responsible for the deaths of 190 children. The precise legal consequences for the other defendants are being dealt with separately.
Mackenzie presented himself as a pastor and led Good News International Ministries. The case came to light in 2023 after large numbers of graves were found in a forested area in the coastal region. The authorities subsequently investigated the role of the religious organisation and its leadership.
The defendant has denied the allegations. Other defendants also pleaded not guilty at earlier stages of the case. A conviction in these proceedings does not automatically mean that all other charges against Mackenzie have been concluded; he is also facing separate cases relating to other deaths and offences.
The case has raised questions in Kenya about oversight of religious organisations, child protection and the speed with which police and local authorities respond to warnings. The government previously announced that it wanted to tighten rules for religious institutions, but the precise implementation remains the subject of debate.
The ruling is a first important legal judgment on the events in Shakahola. The sources do not provide all the details about the sentence or any possible appeals. Mackenzie is therefore described in this article as a convicted defendant until the full legal process has been completed.
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The court ruling and the main outlines of the case have been confirmed by two recent sources. Details about the sentence and further proceedings have deliberately not been presented as established facts.
- confirmed Paul Mackenzie was found guilty on 19 October 2026. — The Standard and Al Jazeera reported the ruling on that day. source
- confirmed The case concerns the deaths of 190 children. — The number is explicitly mentioned by The Standard. source
- confirmed The full sentence and appeals process are not yet clear. — The reports consulted describe the ruling, but not a definitive sentence. source
Editor's note
The conviction and the number of 190 children were reported by The Standard. The exact sentence, consequences for all co-defendants and any appeals were not yet fully clear in the sources consulted.Sources
- Court finds Makenzi liable for 190 Shakahola child deaths — The Standard Kenya
- Who is cult leader Paul Mackenzie, accused of convincing followers to die? — Al Jazeera