Leader of Kenyan sect whose members died of starvation sentenced to 200 years in prison

200 years in prison for the deaths of 191 people

Paul Mackenzie, the leader of a Kenyan sect who declared himself a pastor, has been sentenced to 200 years in prison. According to the prosecution, he and 28 others ordered members of the sect to starve themselves to death in order to 'meet Jesus.' This was reported by Kun.uz citing the BBC, noting that this is one of the deadliest outcomes of destructive cult activity in the world.

What the investigation established

Mackenzie was arrested in 2023 after more than 400 buried bodies were discovered in the Shakahola forest near the Kenyan coast. Forensic examination showed that most of the victims died of starvation, while the rest died from suffocation, strangulation, or severe injuries. In a number of cases it was impossible to determine the cause of death due to the decomposition of the bodies, and some of those rescued were so emaciated that they died shortly after being freed.

Why the court declined to impose the death penalty

Judge Diana Mochache stated that Mackenzie bears 'primary criminal responsibility' and described the killings as 'committed cold-bloodedly and deliberately,' noting that the guilty showed no remorse and declared their readiness to die of starvation themselves. Nevertheless, although the gravity of the case provided grounds to consider a death sentence, the court deemed it inexpedient: according to the judge, the ultimate penalty would leave the convicted without any possibility of rehabilitation or renouncing their former beliefs. Death sentences have not been carried out in Kenya since 1987. Mackenzie's accomplices — guards who monitored the observance of the fasts and those who buried the bodies in mass graves — received sentences of up to 160 years.