Kenyan court convicts cult leader in starvation deaths of 190 children

A Kenyan court on Monday convicted cult leader Paul Mackenzie and about 30 others of murder in the starvation deaths of 190 children and one adult, according to The Korea Times. Sentencing is scheduled for Nov. 6.

The convictions cover only some of the deaths linked to the group: More than 400 bodies have been recovered from Shakahola Forest, with investigations into other deaths continuing. The case has brought calls for stronger oversight of churches and other religious organizations.

According to The Korea Times, prosecutors said Mackenzie and his Good News International Church instructed followers to stop eating and starve their children, promising they would reach heaven ahead of the world's end. Mackenzie denied compelling the victims to starve, an argument the court rejected.

Justice Diana Kavedza Mochache said children were kept apart and deprived of food, sometimes as their parents watched. People with direct knowledge told Reuters that the starvation plan put children first, followed by women and young men, then the remaining men.

The judgment hearing lasted more than eight hours. Only 26 of the bodies recovered from Shakahola Forest could be identified, The Korea Times reported. Francis Wanje, who lost eight relatives, including two grandchildren, told Reuters before the verdict that the deaths had caused his family lasting psychological distress.

Police said authorities searched Mackenzie's premises in 2017 and closed his church in 2019, after which he moved to Shakahola Forest. Following a tip in March 2023, police arrested him, but he was released on bail before being arrested again in April 2023.

President William Ruto said in 2023 that government agencies should have stopped the deaths and accepted responsibility as president, according to The Korea Times. The case prompted demands for tighter supervision of religious organizations.

Mackenzie also faces a separate case in which prosecutors allege he directed the deaths of 52 people in Kwa Binzaro village while in detention. He has pleaded not guilty to those charges, The Korea Times reported.