Pastor Paul Mackenzie Sentenced to 200 Years for Starvation Murders
Good News International Church leader and 28 followers convicted in deaths of 191 people in Kilifi County.
Callum Smith
Pastor Paul Mackenzie received a 200-year prison sentence today for the murder of 191 people.
The sentence breaks down: 100 years for murder by starvation, another 100 years for direct homicide. All convicted individuals have 14 days to file an appeal.
Over 400 bodies were exhumed from shallow graves on Chakama Ranch in Kilifi County, Kenya, in 2023. Officials confirmed the identities of only 26 of those recovered from the forest.
The Kenya National Commission on Human Rights reported a death toll of 429 in 2024. Post-mortem results indicated starvation as the cause of death for most victims; others died from suffocation, strangulation, or head injuries.
Prosecutors stated that Mackenzie incited his followers to starve themselves to death to 'meet Jesus'. Justice Diana Mochache claimed that Mackenzie's followers believed he was 'Jesus's mouthpiece' and that those who opposed his teachings were beaten to death.
Mackenzie was on the radar of authorities since 2017; his church shut down in 2019. Prosecutors also stated that while in detention, Mackenzie directed the deaths of 52 people in Kwa Binzaro village.
Kenya's last execution occurred in 1987. Stephen Mwiti, whose children were among the victims, stated, "Even if he were to be hanged, I will never see my children again."
Even if he were to be hanged, I will never see my children again.
Mackenzie denied the murder charges, claiming he did not force victims to starve. He faces other charges related to the forest deaths, including terrorism, which he has also denied, and has pleaded not guilty in the Kwa Binzaro village case. Officials claim Mackenzie's followers continued to promote his ideas even after his arrest.