Who Is Paul Mackenzie, The Man Convicted of 191 Murders in Kenya?
Kenya’s conviction of preacher Paul Nthenge Mackenzie has put one of the country’s deadliest religious tragedies back in focus. The Paul Mackenzie Shakahola cult case centres on followers who were told that starving themselves would help them reach heaven.
On October 19, 2026, a court in Mombasa found Mackenzie and 28 others guilty of murder involving 191 people: 190 children and one adult. Mackenzie denied forcing anyone to fast.
From taxi driver to preacher
Before his ministry as a preacher, Mackenzie was a taxi driver. In 2003, he established the Good News International Church in Malindi and started reaching people through both in-person and internet preaching. His messages were that the world was coming to an end.
He instructed all those who followed him to refrain from formal education and medical treatment, which he called contrary to his beliefs. In 2017, police discovered “children who were not going to school at his compound. His church was closed in 2019 and he and his members now live in Shakahola Forest, Kilifi County.
What happened in Shakahola Forest?
A report on missing people in April 2023 brought the case to light, and police were looking for footprints in the forest. Shallow graves and severely weakened survivors were found in a remote settlement. Over 400 bodies were subsequently found at the larger site. The wider tragedy claimed the lives of 429, authorities say, including those who perished when they were sent to hospital. The 191 deaths included in the murder verdict are part of that number.
Many victims died from starvation; some of them showed signs of strangulation or serious wounds, investigators said. Children were informed to go on a hunger strike before other adults, survivors said. People who resisted or tried to leave were reportedly beaten or stopped from getting food. The court concluded that religious teachings and a system of control had been employed to make the lethal fast a reality.
What happens next?
The conviction is a major step toward accountability, but the wider case is not over. Mackenzie and other defendants face additional proceedings linked to alleged manslaughter, terrorism and child-torture offences. A mitigation hearing is scheduled for October 30, with sentencing in the murder case set for November 6, 2026.
The tragedy has also raised questions about how the warning signs were missed. Mackenzie had faced official scrutiny years earlier, yet his followers continued to gather in isolation. The case is a stark reminder that claims made in the name of faith can become dangerous when leaders isolate people, cut them off from care and use fear to demand obedience.
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