Kenyan cult leader Paul Mackenzie found guilty in deaths of 190 children and one adult

A self-proclaimed Kenyan preacher, Paul Mackenzie, and 28 associates have been found guilty of murdering 190 children and one adult as part of a notorious Christian starvation cult.

The Kenyan preacher and his associates were found guilty on Monday, October 19, at a Mombasa court.

Mackenzie is alleged to have incited his acolytes to starve to death in order to "meet Jesus".

He and his associates pleaded not guilty to 191 counts of murder in 2024. He has also denied charges of manslaughter and terrorism in separate cases.

Hundreds of bodies have been discovered since 2023 at the cult base inland from the Kenyan beach resort of Malindi, in what became known as the "Shakahola Forest Massacre".

In January 2026, Mackenzie was charged over a further 52 bodies found at a nearby village.

In the three years since the shocking discovery, more bodies of children, women, and men have been unearthed, bringing the total to well over 400.

Mackenzie established his so-called Good News International Church in 2003 and was alleged to have incited his followers to starve themselves to death to "meet Jesus."

He was arrested in April 2023 after a rights group informed authorities.

His sentencing will take place on November 6.