A Kenyan court has sentenced controversial preacher Paul Mackenzie to 200 years in prison over his role in the deaths of 191 people, including 190 children, in the Shakahola religious cult tragedy.
Mackenzie, founder of the Good News International Church, was sentenced on Friday by the Mombasa High Court alongside more than two dozen co-accused.
The court imposed a 100-year prison term for each death linked to starvation and another 100 years for deaths resulting from direct homicide.
Investigations revealed that Mackenzie persuaded his followers to abandon their homes and relocate to Shakahola Forest in eastern Kenya, where he allegedly convinced them that prolonged fasting would bring them closer to God and prepare them for heaven.
The court heard that religious teachings were used to enforce the fasting, while guards restricted the movements of followers and prevented them from leaving the forest.
Children were reportedly restrained, denied food and punished when they attempted to eat or escape.
A Kenyan Senate report into the tragedy found that Mackenzie’s teachings were largely centred on doomsday predictions and beliefs about the end of the world.
He had reportedly told his followers that the world would end in August 2023 and urged them to fast to “meet Jesus”.
Under the alleged plan, children were expected to die first, followed by young people and women, while the men were expected to remain alive to bury the bodies before eventually dying themselves.
Mackenzie was convicted of murder last month.
In her ruling, Lady Justice Diana Kavedza outlined how the preacher used sermons and written materials to convince followers that the outside world was evil and that salvation could only be attained by relocating to Shakahola Forest.
Evidence retrieved from his mobile phone, including WhatsApp conversations, also showed that he had communicated with followers before they moved to the forest.
The Shakahola tragedy shocked Kenya and attracted international attention, raising concerns about religious extremism, the exploitation of vulnerable followers and the need for stronger oversight of religious organisations.
