A Kenyan court has found religious leader Paul Nthenge Mackenzie and 28 co-accused guilty in a case involving the deaths of 191 people, most of them children, linked to the Shakahola Forest starvation-cult tragedy. The verdict was delivered at the High Court in Mombasa on October 19, 2026. Sentencing is scheduled for November 6.
What did the court find?
Mackenzie was associated with the Good News International Church. Prosecutors said followers were influenced by extreme religious teachings and fasting practices. The case examined deaths connected to the group’s activities in and around Shakahola Forest, in Kenya’s coastal region. The accused had denied the charges.
How the Shakahola tragedy unfolded
Investigators said followers were encouraged to prepare for the end of the world through extreme fasting. Reports from the case described teachings that portrayed formal education and modern medicine as evil. Children were among those placed at grave risk, with allegations that some were made to fast and were prevented from accessing food or escaping the situation.
More than 400 bodies discovered
The case drew international attention in 2023, when authorities began uncovering graves in Shakahola Forest after receiving information about people believed to be missing. More than 400 bodies were eventually recovered. The 191 murder convictions concern the deaths addressed in this verdict; they should not be confused with the total number of bodies found, as investigations and identification efforts have involved a wider group of victims.
What happens next?
The court is expected to sentence the convicted defendants on November 6. Mackenzie has also faced other legal proceedings linked to allegations including terrorism, radicalisation and matters involving children’s education. Those proceedings are separate from the murder verdict reported here.
Why the case matters
The Shakahola case has raised urgent questions about child protection, the responsibilities of religious leaders and how authorities can intervene when belief is used to justify coercion or life-threatening abuse. It also highlights the need to distinguish freedom of religion from actions that endanger vulnerable people.
NationList India News Desk
