Pastor convicted of killing nearly 200 people

A court in the Kenyan city of Mombasa found preacher Paul Mackenzie guilty of killing 191 people, mostly children, as part of the activities of a religious sect, the People Daily newspaper reported.

The decision was made by the Mombasa High Court in the case of mass deaths of followers in the Shakahola forest in southeastern Kenya. In court, the charges against Mackenzie and his alleged accomplices were considered, more than 120 witnesses were questioned.

The investigation found that the leader of the organization Good News International Church persuaded parishioners to refuse food, medical care and other necessary living conditions in order to meet Jesus Christ, the victims were mainly children, whom his parents instructed to starve.

Mass graves in the Shakahola forest were discovered in April 2023, during the search authorities recovered the remains of more than 400 people. McKenzie was arrested the same month. In addition to murder charges, he also faces separate charges of terrorism and manslaughter. He had previously denied wrongdoing.