Kenyan cult leader sentenced to 200 years for starvation murders

A Kenyan court has sentenced doomsday cult leader Paul Mackenzie to 200 years in prison for murder, according to reports from France 24, Al Jazeera, Reuters, the South China Morning Post, the Guardian, Sky News, and the Irish Times. The High Court in the coastal city of Mombasa handed down the sentence on Friday, the South China Morning Post reported. [1][2][3][4][5][6][8]

Al Jazeera and the South China Morning Post both reported that Mackenzie was convicted of murdering 190 children and one adult, making a total of 191 victims. France 24, Reuters, the Guardian, and the Irish Times stated that the conviction was for the murder of 190 children. According to Al Jazeera, Justice Diana Kavedza stated that the 200-year sentence consists of 100 years for murder by starvation and 100 years for direct homicide. [1][2][3][4][5][8]

The victims were starved to death on the order of Mackenzie, who instructed his followers to starve themselves so they could meet Jesus, according to Al Jazeera and the South China Morning Post. Al Jazeera noted that the victims were buried in a forest, and that 28 accomplices convicted alongside Mackenzie last month received various prison sentences. [2][4]

Mackenzie was the founder of Good News International Ministries, an apocalyptic Christian group. The events took place in Kilifi County and came to public attention in March 2023 when a man notified the police after his wife and daughter failed to return from visiting the remote ministry. [9]