A Kenyan court has found Paul Mackenzie, leader of the Good News International church, and approximately 30 others guilty of murder in connection with the deaths of 190 children and one adult linked to a starvation cult. The verdict was delivered on Tuesday at the Mombasa High Court, marking a significant development in one of the country’s deadliest cult-related tragedies.

Authorities arrested Mackenzie in 2023 following a tip-off that led to the discovery of mass graves in the Shakahola forest in southeastern Kenya. Since then, investigators have recovered more than 400 bodies, many in advanced stages of decomposition, with only 26 identified thus far. The court ruling encompassed 191 deaths, though investigations into additional fatalities are ongoing.

Prosecutors presented evidence that Mackenzie and his church orchestrated a Christian doomsday sect that pressured followers to starve themselves and their children to death, believing such acts would grant them passage to heaven before the apocalypse. In the court proceedings, Justice Diana Kavedza Mochache noted disturbing details, including instances where children were isolated and denied food while their parents watched. Mackenzie denied the murder charges, asserting that he did not force anyone to starve, but the court rejected his defense.

Mackenzie appeared in court dressed in a striped polo shirt and red trousers, sitting alongside his wife, who was also among the accused. The trial, which lasted more than eight hours, drew the attention of numerous relatives of the deceased, many of whom expressed emotional distress. Among them, Francis Wanje, 62, who lost eight family members—including two grandchildren—in the sect, described the ordeal as deeply traumatic and expressed relief at the judgment.

The Shakahola case has profoundly impacted Kenyan society since the mass graves were first uncovered more than three years ago. It has sparked demands for more stringent regulation and oversight of churches and religious organizations in Kenya, a country where faith holds a significant place in public life. Authorities and civil society groups argue that enhanced monitoring is necessary to prevent similar tragedies in the future.