A Kenyan court has sentenced religious leader Paul Mackenzie to 200 years in prison for his role in the deaths of 191 people, including 190 children, who allegedly starved themselves to death under his direction. The sentencing, delivered on Friday by Justice Diana Mochache, marks a significant legal conclusion to the mass deaths associated with Mackenzie’s movement in Shakahola forest, located near Kenya’s coastal region.
Justice Mochache determined that Mackenzie bore "primary criminal culpability" for instructing his followers to engage in deadly fasting exercises, describing the killings as "cold and calculated." The court imposed a 100-year prison term for homicide and an additional 100 years for offences connected to the starvation deaths. While the sentences for each category run concurrently, the two categories run consecutively, resulting in the total 200-year sentence intended to signal that crimes of such magnitude will attract the harshest penalties allowed by law.
Mackenzie was found guilty in October alongside 28 other defendants, including guards accused of enforcing the fasting directives and gravediggers who assisted in burying the victims. These co-defendants received various prison terms, with the longest sentence reaching 160 years. Although prosecutors had requested the death penalty for Mackenzie, Justice Mochache rejected the request, explaining that capital punishment would leave no room for rehabilitation.
The case came to light in 2023 when security operatives uncovered mass graves in Shakahola forest containing the bodies of suspected members of Mackenzie’s group. Since the initial discovery, more than 400 bodies have reportedly been exhumed from the area. Investigations indicated that starvation accounted for the majority of the deaths, while some victims reportedly died from suffocation, strangulation, and head injuries.
Paul Mackenzie established Good News International Ministries in 2003 and later relocated to Shakahola forest to encourage followers to join him. He gained notoriety for teachings that portrayed education and healthcare as evil practices. Throughout the trial, Mackenzie and the other defendants denied the accusations, maintaining that no one had been compelled to die.
Beyond the current conviction, the religious leader faces separate manslaughter and terrorism charges, which he has also denied. The sentencing concludes the primary phase of the legal proceedings regarding the mass fatalities in Shakahola, though further judicial processes may follow regarding the additional charges.
<small>Source: Daily Post Nigeria — read the original story there.</small>
