Kenyan pastor jailed for 200 years over deaths of 190 children

A Kenyan court has sentenced controversial cult leader Paul Mackenzie to 200 years in prison for the murder of 191 followers, all but one of them children, in a shocking case involving forced starvation and abuse.

Mackenzie, founder of the Good News International Church, was sentenced on Friday, November 6, 2026, by the High Court in Mombasa alongside more than two dozen co-convicts over the deaths linked to his doomsday teachings.

The court heard that Mackenzie convinced his followers that the world would end in August 2023 and instructed them to fast to death in order to gain entry into heaven.

According to a report by the Kenyan Senate, Mackenzie’s teachings centred on apocalyptic beliefs, with children expected to die first, followed by young people and women, while men remained alive long enough to bury the victims before eventually starving themselves.

Justice Diana Kavedza sentenced Mackenzie to 100 years’ imprisonment for the victims who died from starvation and another 100 years for those murdered through direct acts of violence.

Explaining why she declined to impose the death penalty, Justice Kavedza said executing the convicts could reinforce their belief that death would reunite them with Jesus rather than serve as a deterrent.

The judge added that keeping them alive could also assist investigators in locating the remains of missing children.

Justice Kavedza said the court found that 161 of the victims were children aged nine years and below, while another 22 were between 10 and 13 years old. Five victims were aged between 14 and 16, while the ages of two others could not be established.

Justice Kavedza said 183 victims, including 182 children, died from starvation, while eight children were suffocated, strangled or beaten to death.

The court heard that Mackenzie persuaded followers to abandon their homes and relocate to Shakahola Forest in eastern Kenya, where he claimed fasting would prepare them for heaven.

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Evidence presented during the trial showed that guards prevented members from leaving the camp, while those who resisted were forced to continue fasting. Children were reportedly restrained, denied food and punished whenever they attempted to eat or escape.

Mackenzie, who was convicted of murder in October 2026, was found to have used sermons, written materials and WhatsApp messages to convince followers that salvation could only be achieved by isolating themselves in the forest.

The judge noted that most of the convicts showed no remorse throughout the trial, with Mackenzie smiling several times during Friday’s sentencing.

Justice Kavedza also revealed that survivors testified deaths in the forest were celebrated as “weddings to Jesus,” with those who died described as “heroes of faith.”

Authorities began exhuming bodies from Shakahola Forest in April 2023 after reports that followers had died while observing Mackenzie’s teachings. Kenyan authorities have since recovered 429 bodies, while prosecutors say additional charges could still be filed.