Kenyan starvation cult leader found guilty of murder of 191 children, one adult
The court said the cult used organized fasting and blocked escapes, with more than 400 bodies recovered in the wider investigation.
- On Monday, the Mombasa High Court found cult leader Paul Mackenzie and 29 associates guilty of murdering 190 children and one adult in the Shakahola Forest, marking one of the world's worst cult-related disasters.
- Mackenzie ordered followers of his Good News International Church to starve themselves and their children to "meet Jesus" before the world ended. Mass graves emerged in Shakahola more than three years ago.
- Branding schools and hospitals as "Satanic," Mackenzie forbade cult members from using them. Francis Wanje, 62, lost eight family members including two grandchildren, while prosecutors say Mackenzie directed 52 additional deaths in Kwa Binzaro village from detention.
- Justice Diana Kavedza Mochache delivered the verdict after a hearing lasting more than eight hours. Monday's judgment covered 191 deaths, though investigations continue into the more than 400 bodies recovered from Shakahola.
- The tragedy prompted calls for tougher oversight of religious organizations in Kenya. Kenyan President William Ruto previously stated government agencies should have prevented the deaths, accepting responsibility for the failure to intervene earlier.
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206 Articles
Doomsday cult leader found guilty of mass murder as US issues urgent travel warning
A doomsday cult leader in Kenya has been found guilty of murdering 190 children and one adult.Paul Mackenzie instructed members of his cult to starve their children to death so they could "meet Jesus", and warned modern medicine was "evil".A further 28 leaders in his cult were also convicted of murder - all pleaded not guilty.The US has now issued a travel warning to the country, urging any visitors to reconsider travel. TRENDING Stories Videos …
Paul Mackenzie, leader of a Kenyan apocalyptic sect, was convicted this Monday of the death of 191 people - all children less than one adult - after having ordered several families to let their children starve to die so that they could "find Jesus." 29 other individuals have been convicted along with him, and all of them will know the penalty on November 6. A complaint in 2023 uncovered what happened and allowed the police to discover dozens of …
The Daily Advance
What to know about Kenya's starvation cult after its leader is convicted on 191 murder charges
A Kenyan pastor has been convicted on 191 murder charges after forcing his followers to starve their children and themselves to death. Pastor Paul Mackenzie was convicted Monday alongside 28 others who helped run his Good News International Church. It…
Kenyan sect leader who starved people to death found guilty of killing 190 children A Kenyan court found Paul McKenzie and about 30 accomplices guilty in the deaths of 190 children and adults<p>. More than 400 found in Shakahola forest bodies.</p>
He wanted his followers to starve to meet "Jesus": a court in Kenya has now condemned sect leader Paul Mackenzie. Most of the more than a hundred victims were children.
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