Kenyan Court Sentences Starvation Cult Leader to 200 Years

The Mombasa High Court sentenced Paul Mackenzie to 200 years in prison for the deaths of 191 people, including 190 children, who were starved or directly killed. Justice Diana Kavedza imposed 100 years for murder by starvation and 100 years for direct homicide; 28 accomplices also received prison terms. Mackenzie and his Good News International Church had ordered followers to fast to death so they could reach heaven before the end of the world. The case came to light in 2023 after bodies were found in shallow graves and latrines in Shakahola Forest; Kenyan authorities say more than 400 people died in the tragedy.