MOMBASA — Kenya cult leader Paul Mackenzie has been sentenced to 200 years in prison by the Mombasa High Court for the murder of 191 people, all but one of them children.
Mackenzie and more than two dozen of his followers were found guilty of operating an organised system within the Shakahola forest, directing parents to starve their children to death so they could “meet Jesus”.
The self-styled pastor was arrested in 2023 after the discovery of more than four hundred bodies in shallow graves in Shakahola forest near the Kenyan coast.
The court heard how Mackenzie and his followers used extreme religious teachings to control families, isolate them in the forest and enforce starvation as a supposed path to heaven.
The sentencing brings a measure of closure to one of Kenya’s darkest tragedies, which shocked the world and raised urgent questions about religious extremism and the protection of vulnerable children.
The court said the punishment must reflect the gravity of the crimes and serve as a warning to others who use religion to exploit and harm innocent people. Howedey.com will continue to monitor developments on the case.
Author: Stella Sunu • Published on Howedey.com
