Accra:The High Court has found self-proclaimed pastor Paul Nthenge Mackenzie and 28 co-accused guilty of the murder of 190 children and one adult in Shakahola Forest, Kilifi County. The court described the deaths as part of a system of enforced fasting initiated by Mackenzie, which began with children.
According to Kenya News Agency, Lady Justice Diana Kavedza delivered the judgment, stating that the prosecution successfully proved its case against all 29 accused individuals. Each was convicted on 191 counts of murder, with sentencing scheduled for November 6. Initially, 31 people faced charges, but proceedings against two were halted due to their deaths during the trial. Among the convicted, Enos Amanya Ngala had already pleaded guilty to all charges.
Mackenzie, leader of Good News International Ministries, was found to have instructed followers to fast to death to ‘meet Jesus,’ starting with children, followed by youth, women, and men. Those who resisted were coerced through violence and confinement. The court concluded that Mackenzie deliberately misinterpreted scripture to radicalize followers, denouncing education and modern medicine, and portraying the government as evil. His teachings encouraged followers to isolate themselves in Shakahola, meeting the definition of an extreme belief system under the Prevention of Terrorism Act.
Post-mortem reports revealed starvation as the cause of death in 72 cases, alongside asphyxia, neck compression, and head injuries. In over 100 instances, decomposition prevented cause determination, but starvation was inferred based on eyewitness accounts and the condition of the graves.
The court dismissed defense claims that followers voluntarily moved to Shakahola and fasted by choice, emphasizing that children cannot consent to fasting to death and that parents have a legal obligation to protect their children’s lives. The trial, considered the most significant criminal case in Kenya’s history, involved testimony from 120 prosecution witnesses and nine for the defense. Investigators exhumed 429 bodies from the forest between April and July 2023, with 191 being central to the murder charges.
Director of Public Prosecutions Renson Ingonga lauded the verdict as a product of sustained teamwork. He expressed satisfaction with the judgment, acknowledging the media’s role in covering the case. Deputy Director of Criminal Investigations John Onyango thanked all agencies involved in the investigation, noting that the prosecution’s strong evidence made the judge’s work straightforward.
