Kenyan Church Leader Convicted Over 190 Children Starved to Death in Hope of ‘Meeting Jesus’
A Kenyan court has convicted preacher Paul Mackenzie and 28 associates of murdering 190 children and one adult in a case involving a religious group accused of forcing its followers to starve themselves to death in the belief that they would reach heaven and meet Jesus.
The verdict was delivered on Monday, 19 October 2026, at the Mombasa High Court, bringing a major development in the case that shocked Kenya and attracted international attention.
Mackenzie, who founded the Good News International Church in 2003, was accused of using extreme religious teachings to persuade followers to stop eating, including forcing children to undergo deadly fasting. The court found that the practice was organised and enforced, with guards allegedly preventing followers from escaping or accessing food.
According to CNN, the case came to light in April 2023 when authorities began uncovering bodies in shallow graves in the Shakahola Forest area of coastal Kenya. The investigation eventually led to the recovery of more than 400 bodies, making it one of the country’s most disturbing cases of mass deaths linked to a religious group.
Prosecutors said children were targeted first in the fasting process, followed by other members of the community. Reports also indicated that some victims had suffered injuries, while post-mortem examinations linked many of the deaths to starvation.
The tragedy raised serious questions about how Mackenzie continued his activities despite previous encounters with law enforcement. His church was shut down in 2019, after which he moved his followers to the forest, where they established an isolated community.
The case has also intensified calls for stronger oversight of religious organisations in Kenya to prevent the exploitation of vulnerable people under the guise of religious teachings.
Mackenzie and his co-accused are expected to return to court for a mitigation hearing on 30 October, ahead of sentencing scheduled for 6 November 2026.
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