digesta
Just signalNo noise

← Back to feed

Kenyan court convicts cult leader of murdering 191 people

–

Neutral summary

A court in the Kenyan city of Mombasa on October 19, 2026, found preacher Paul Mackenzie and his associates guilty of murdering 191 people, 190 of them children. Mackenzie, who founded the Good News International Church in 2003, urged his followers to fast to death, saying they would “meet Jesus” and calling modern medicine “evil.” The bodies were discovered in 2023 in shallow graves in the Shakahola forest near the coastal resort of Malindi; more than 400 bodies were exhumed, nearly half of them children. Judge Diana Mochache, who delivered the verdict over eight hours, said followers believed Mackenzie was the “spokesman of Jesus.” Along with Mackenzie, 28 of his associates were convicted; all had pleaded not guilty. Sentencing is scheduled for November 6. Civil society organizations say the death toll may exceed 500. The trial lasted thirteen months and heard from more than 120 witnesses. The US State Department issued a travel advisory urging visitors to reconsider travel to Kenya. Some sources, including Sveriges Radio Ekot, report 28 convicted associates, while others, such as AiF, cite 29 or 30.

How it was framed

Outlets: 53. Countries: 19. Facts in the shared core: 11.

Publication timeline

  1. · Аргументы и факты (outlet profile)

    В Кении пастора обвинили в гибели 191 ребёнка после отказа от пищи. В кенийском городе Момбаса ожидается оглашение судебного вердикта по делу лидера религиозного культа Пола Маккензи и 29 его сторонников.

  2. · The Mirror (outlet profile)

    Doomsday cult pastor who 'told parents to starve kids to death' charged with 191 murders. A religious fanatic cult leader accused of murdering 191 people after hundreds of bodies, including children, were discovered in…

  3. · Al Jazeera (outlet profile)

    Kenyan court convicts starvation cult leader for murder of 191 people. This is a breaking news story.

  4. · RFI (outlet profile)

    Massacre de Shakahola au Kenya: le gourou d'une secte et ses co-accusés reconnus coupables pour le meurtre de 191 personnes. Le pasteur autoproclamé de l'Église internationale de la bonne nouvelle et ses 29 co-accusés o…

  5. · Daily Nation (outlet profile)

    Shakahola verdict: Mackenzie, 30 co-accused guilty on all 191 counts of murder

  6. · NRK (outlet profile)

    Kenyansk sektleder kjent skyldig i drap på 190 barn. En selverklært kenyansk predikant og hans medsammensvorne er funnet skyldige av en domstol i Mombasa i Kenya i å ha drept 190 barn og én voksen. Sektmedlemmene ble be…

  7. · DW (Deutsche Welle) (outlet profile)

    Kenya: Cult leader found guilty of murdering 190 children, 1 adult. Preacher Paul Mackenzie is accused of telling his followers to starve themselves to death. He ran a Christian doomsday cult called the Good News Intern…

  8. · DW (Deutsche Welle) (outlet profile)

    Kenyan cult leader Paul Mackenzie found guilty over 191 starvation deaths. Preacher Paul Mackenzie is accused of telling his followers to starve themselves to death. He ran a Christian doomsday cult called the Good News…

  9. · DW (Deutsche Welle) (outlet profile)

    Kenya: Cult leader guilty of murdering 190 children, 1 adult. Preacher Paul Mackenzie was accused of encouraging his followers to starve themselves to death. He ran a Christian doomsday cult called the Good News Interna…

  10. · South China Morning Post (outlet profile)

    Kenyan starvation cult leader found guilty of murder of 191 children, 1 adult. A Kenyan court on Monday found starvation cult leader ⁠Paul Mackenzie and about 30 others guilty of ⁠murder over the deaths of 190 children…

  11. · Daily Nation (outlet profile)

    Shakahola verdict: Mackenzie, 30 co-accused guilty on all 191 counts of murder. High Court finds Paul Mackenzie, his 30 co-accused guilty of all 191 counts of murder in...

  12. · UOL (outlet profile)

    Guru acusado de ter matado de fome 191 adeptos no Quênia é declarado culpado de todas as acusações. Um tribunal do Quênia declarou culpados, nesta segunda-feira (19), um guru que se autoproclamou pregador e seus cúmplic…

  13. · The Guardian (outlet profile)

    Kenyan starvation cult leader guilty of murder of 190 children and one adult. Paul Mackenzie and his church set up sect that ordered followers to starve themselves and their children, say prosecutors A Kenyan court on M…

  14. · CBS News (outlet profile)

    Starvation cult leader found guilty of murder of 190 children. Paul Mackenzie is alleged to have incited his acolytes to starve to death in order to "meet Jesus."

  15. · Daily Mail (outlet profile)

    Doomsday cult leader who told parents to starve their children is found guilty of 191 murders. Mackenzie was arrested in 2023 after police received a tip-off, and weeks later authorities began uncovering bodies in shall…

  16. · Africanews (outlet profile)

    Guilty as charged: Kenyan court finds cult leader responsible of 191 starvation deaths. A self-proclaimed Kenyan preacher and his associates were on Monday found guilty of murdering 191 people, mostly children, in an in…

  17. · Libération (outlet profile)

    Au Kenya, un gourou déclaré coupable d’avoir affamé jusqu’à la mort 190 enfants. Paul Mackenzie est accusé d’avoir encouragé ses disciples à mourir de faim pour «rencontrer Jésus» avant la fin du monde. Au total, plus d…

  18. · News.ru (outlet profile)

    Известный пастор заморил голодом почти две сотни человек. Суд в кенийском городе Момбаса признал проповедника Пола Маккензи виновным в убийстве 191 человека, преимущественно детей, в рамках деятельности религиозной сект…

  19. · Российская газета (outlet profile)

    В Кении признали виновным лидера секты, погубившей 190 детей. Суд в Кении признал лидера религиозной секты Пола Маккензи и около 30 его сообщников виновными в убийстве 190 детей и одного взрослого. Трагедия, связанная с…

  20. · New York Post (outlet profile)

    Kenyan doomsday cult leader and followers convicted of murdering 190 children in mass starvation. A Kenyan court on Monday found starvation cult leader Paul Mackenzie and about 30 others guilty of murder over the deaths…

  21. · www.rbc.ru (outlet profile)

    Суд в Кении признал лидера секты виновным в убийстве 190 детей. Суд в Кении признал лидера секты Пола Маккензи и около 30 его сподвижников виновными в убийстве 190 детей и одного взрослого.

  22. · BBC News (outlet profile)

    Kenya cult leader who told parents to starve children guilty of 191 murders. Self-proclaimed pastor Paul Mackenzie was found guilty of 191 murder charges - all but one of them children.

  23. · Belfast Telegraph (outlet profile)

    Leader of Kenyan doomsday cult convicted of 191 murders

  24. · UOL (outlet profile)

    Líder de seita é considerado culpado por morte de 190 crianças no Quênia. Um tribunal do Quênia considerou o líder religioso Paul Mackenzie culpado pelo assassinato de 190 crianças e um adulto em uma seita que pregava o…

  25. · O Globo (outlet profile)

    Acusado de matar de fome 191 fiéis no Quênia, guru que se autoproclamava pastor é declarado culpado de crimes. Um tribunal queniano declarou culpado nesta segunda-feira (19) um guru que se autoproclamava pastor e seus c…

  26. · Tanjug (outlet profile)

    Vođa kenijskog kulta gladi proglašen krivim za ubistvo 190 dece i jedne odrasle osobe

  27. · UOL (outlet profile)

    Guru julgado pela morte de 191 pessoas em seita é declarado culpado no Quênia. Um tribunal do Quênia declarou culpado, nesta segunda-feira (19), um guru e seus cúmplices, acusados de terem assassinado 191 adeptos, em su…

  28. · Коммерсантъ (outlet profile)

    В Кении проповедника признали виновным в смерти 190 детей. Кенийский суд в Момбасе признал лидера секты проповедника Пола Маккензи виновным в убийстве 191 человека, 190 из которых — дети, сообщает Al Jazeera. Ему и 28 е…

  29. · Mondo (outlet profile)

    Decu izgladnjivali do smrti, u šumi pronađeno 400 tela: Stigla presuda za najmonstruozniji zločin u Keniji

  30. · Ouest-France (outlet profile)

    Le gourou d’une secte mortifère au Kenya jugé coupable des meurtres de 190 enfants et un adulte. Paul Mackenzie Nthenge gourou autoproclamé et ses complices ont été reconnus coupables ce lundi 19 octobre des meurtres de…

Factual core

  • A Kenyan court found cult leader Paul Mackenzie guilty of murdering 190 children and 1 adult.
  • The conviction is for the murder of 191 individuals, including 190 children.
  • Paul Mackenzie is the leader of the religious cult.
  • Paul Mackenzie led a starvation cult that ordered followers to starve themselves and their children.
  • The verdict was delivered by a court in Kenya.
  • Mackenzie's associates were also found guilty of the murders.
  • The Shakahola forest is located in southeastern Kenya, where the bodies were found.
  • The victims were starved to death as part of the cult's practices.
  • The cult leader was convicted of murder charges.
  • The victims died from starvation as part of a practice to 'meet Jesus'.
  • The victims were mostly children.

Full methodology →

Other stories of the day