A Kenyan court has convicted Paul Mackenzie and roughly 30 co-defendants of murder in a case linked to the deaths of 190 children and one adult, prosecutors said. The convictions follow allegations that Mackenzie and leaders of his church directed followers to starve themselves and their children.
Prosecutors told the court the sect, centred around Mackenzie’s church, instructed adherents to stop eating as part of its practices. Mackenzie was arrested in 2023 after police received a tip-off, an arrest that prompted a wider inquiry into reported disappearances and deaths associated with the group.
Weeks after the arrest, investigators began recovering human remains from shallow graves in the Shakahola forest, a coastal location in south-eastern Kenya. Authorities say the discoveries revealed one of the deadliest incidents tied to a religious sect in recent memory.
The case drew national and international attention as courts heard testimony and officials conducted exhumations and searches. The convictions mark a significant development in a prolonged investigation into the activities of the church and its leadership.
Legal authorities have not disclosed detailed information about sentencing in the matter, and investigations linked to the sect’s operations are reported to be ongoing. The verdict is likely to shape further inquiries into how the group operated and whether additional prosecutions will follow.