The leader of the Sect Good News International (GNI), Paul Nthenge Mackenzie, was sentenced to a total of 200 years imprisonment due to murder of 190 children and an adult in the Shakahola forest between January 2021 and September 2023. Judge Diana Kavedza imposed two separate imprisonment of 100 years against Mackenzie at the Supreme Court in Mombasa, depending on the cause of death of the victims.
Here something must be made for clarification.
Paul Nthenge Mackenzie is a former Kenyan taxi driver who changed to the self-proclaimed pastor. He founded the "Good News International Church" and became the central figure of the massacre in the Shakahola forest that was one of the most deadly tragedies related to a sect-like grouping in modern history.
Mackenzie was born in 1973 in Makueni County (Kenya). Between 1997 and 2003 he worked as a taxi driver in Nairobi before moving to the coastal town of Malindi to devote himself there religious sermons.
The church founded in 2003 initially acted as a common evangelical community. Later, Mackenzie developed an increasingly apocalyptic and institution-critical theology. About his television broadcaster "Times TV", he spread sermons, in which he condemned Western education, modern medicine, state identification systems (such as "Huduma Namba") and established churches as Satanish.
The Kenyan authorities took Mackenzie already 2023 several times, including 2017, 2019 and in March 2023. He was accused of radicalizing children, trailer to boycott of schools and hospitals and not to operate approved media. He came repeatedly against bail. In 2019, he officially closed his community in Malindi and settled his followers on a secluded, about 320 hectares (800 acres) large terrain in the Shakahola forest in Kilifi County.
And now the tragedy comes in the Shakahola forest (2023).
In April 2023, the Kenyan police - according to references of human rights activists and relatives of relatives, led a raid on the terrain in the Shakahola forest and discovered dozens of flat mass graves. Mackenzie pointed out his followers to hunger and their children to death to face an imminent Apocalypse "Jesus". He set a strict ranking who had to fast first (first children, then women, men and finally Mackenzie themselves).
Over 440 bodies were exhumed from flat graves throughout the forest area; Autopsies revealed that starvation was the main cause of death; However, some victims - especially children - showed signs of strangulation, ill-treatment by punching or suffocation.
Armed overseers patrolled in the forest to prevent the starving trailers from flinging or searching for food and water.
After putting himself on April 14, 2023 of the police, Mackenzie and dozens were arrested accomplices. Before various Kenyan courts (among others in Mombasa, Malindi and Shanzu), they were charged with the following offenses:
- Murder (nearly 200 charges that relate specifically to deceased children)
- manslaughter (over 200 charges)
- Terrorism-relevant crimes according to the Contribution Law (Prevention of Terrorism Act)
- Torture of children, cruel treatment and presence of basic rights under the Child Law (* Children ACT *)
In November 2023, Mackenzie was also convicted of a 12-month prison sentence, as he produced a film studio of operation and content without a valid license of the Kenya Film Classification Board. The procedures for murder (to which the death penalty can stand) and terrorism were met.
The revelations prompted the Kenyan government to establish a Presidential Working Group (Presidential Taskforce) chaired by Mutava Musyimi. This is intended to review the legal and regulatory framework for religious organizations and propose stricter standards for reviewing, financial accountability, and the registration of churches and religious leaders throughout Kenya.
The first sentence refers to the death of 183 people, including 182 children and an adult starving after foodstuff. Mackenzie was sentenced for each of the 183 charges to 100 years in prison, but the penalties are executed at the same time.
The second sentence refers to the death of eight children killed by hanging, strangulating, suffocating or dull violence. Mackenzie received 100 years imprisonment for each of the eight charges, the penalties will also be carried out at the same time. The judge, however, ordered that the two penalties will be enforced at the same time, which amounts to the total penalty on 200 years. In his statement of judgment, Richter Kavedza, Shakahola's murder was intentional, and had been assigned for a long period of time, which is why the penalty of the severity of the crime must meet.
In his assessment of his role, the judge said Mackenzie led his followers in the forest and held there meetings, which he ordered to fast to their death. He also ordered the children to starve.
The court said Mackenzie has led the funeral, which he called as a wedding, and given the village elders about his deputy Smart Deri Mwakalama instructions. He also ordered the use of violence against children who refused to fast, trying to break the fasting or flee.
The judge said the punishment must not only take into account the number of killed but also their suffering from their death.
28 Accommodation received 10 to 160 years. Overall, the Shakahola massacre is attributed more than 400 dead.
The question that imprints here was not answered by the court: How could that happen?
On the one hand through manipulation and isolation. Mackenzie preached since 2003 as a charismatic "pastor", first locally in Malindi, then nationwide via online performances. In 2019 he relocated his followers to an 800-acre terrain in the Shakahola forest - Scrolled from kinship, authorities and neighbors. There he announced the world at the end of August 2023, and who first fasted to death, come to heaven first.
Further by violence, not only with conviction. It was not a pure "mass suicide". Witnesses reported by a "structured hierarchy of death": Children should first die, resisted were beaten and threatened - followers told, Mackenzie said, "by blows and kicks" in the sky. Eight victims were killed directly (throttling, suffocation, violence), buried some living. The court evaluated as "cold and calculated", not as a faith decision of the victims.
And finally the state failure. The warning signals were open to light: In 2019, Mackenzie's church was closed in Malindi, in the same year he was arrested for two childhood in Shakahola - and released on bail again. President Ruto later spoke an apology and threw the secret service, the police, the investigation authority and local Chief's negligence. The Enlightenment was triggered only by the hint of a man whose wife and daughter did not return.
The conviction is fresh: On 6 November 2026, the Supreme Court in Mombasa Paul Mackenzie sentenced to 200 years imprisonment - for the murder of 190 children and an adult by hunger; 28 Accommodation received 10 to 160 years. Overall, the Shakahola massacre is attributed more than 400 dead, the Kenyan Human Rights Commission called 2024 the number 429.
How could this happen?
Several factors came together:
Manipulation and isolation. Mackenzie preached since 2003 as a charismatic "pastor", first locally in Malindi, then nationwide via online performances. In 2019 he relocated his followers to an 800-acre terrain in the Shakahola forest - Scrolled from kinship, authorities and neighbors. There he announced the world at the end of August 2023, and who first fasted to death, come to heaven first.
Violence, not only conviction. It was not a pure "mass suicide". Witnesses reported by a "structured hierarchy of death": Children should first die, resisted were beaten and threatened - followers told, Mackenzie said, "by blows and kicks" in the sky. Eight victims were killed directly (throttling, suffocation, violence), buried some living. The court evaluated as "cold and calculated", not as a faith decision of the victims.
The warning signals were open to light: In 2019, Mackenzie's church was closed in Malindi, in the same year he was arrested for two childhood in Shakahola - and released on bail again. President Ruto later spoke an apology and threw the secret service, the police, the investigation authority and local Chief's negligence. The Enlightenment was triggered only by the hint of a man whose wife and daughter did not return.
Is "the church complaining"?
To answer this question, a look at the church in Kenya must be done.
The church in Kenya is socially very present, but its location is contradictory. Every 100m there is a church that says a lot. It remains an important moral and social institution, but is under pressure through political collection, state regulation, internal fragmentation and loss of confidence after religious extreme cases.
Kenya is predominantly Christian; In addition to the large churches, there are numerous free churches and independent communities. In 2023, around 40,000 religious organizations were registered, and, according to government information, almost 60 other registration applications were registered. The kitchen is not just a place for religious actions, it is also a product that can be sold. The churches are well equipped well.
The churches are not only God Sectors: Catholic and other Christian institutions contribute significantly to education, health, childcare and development. For example, the Catholic Church is a carrier of about 30 percent of the schools in the country. This promotes religiosity.
The Constitution of 2010 defines Kenya as a secular state, but religion and politics are closely intertwined in practice. Politicians are looking for churches in front of elections, although the bishop's conference and other Christian associations refuse political propaganda in worships.
Critics see mutual instrumentalization, because politicians gain access to electorate, while some church-conducting resources, visibility or political protection will receive. As a result, the church loses credibility as a uniform voice for democracy, peace and social justice.
The Catholic Church reports on increasing restrictions on its room for maneuver. The higher fees for missionary traps, conflicts to reject the reimbursement of hospital bills by the National Health Insurance Fund and worries, churches from school and administration.
At the same time, the bishops call for attacks - such as the use of tear gas against believers during a service - independent investigations and criminal consequences. They consider such incidents as violation of the constitutional law on religious freedom.
The Shakahola Scandal of 2023, in which hundreds of dead were discovered in the environment of a sect, triggered a broad debate on the control of religious communities. The process against the sectors ended 2026 with a conviction due to murder of 190 children.
The event has made the problem of unregulated or extremely interpreted beliefs visible. However, it mainly concerns sect-like structures, not the large established churches as a whole.
The Good News International Church was not established mainstream church, but a splinter group - the big churches of Kenia have clearly distanced themselves. Her trailers came partly from traditional communities, but not on their reason.
But there were touched points. The influential television preacher Ezekiel Odero was arrested in April 2023 and examined with frozen accounts - suspected that corpses of his followers appeared in Shakahola. He came back on deposit; A proof of guidance has not been raised so far.
The actual systemic problem is in Kenya religious freedom, which is strongly protected against constitutionally, there are officially around 4,000 registered "churches" and practically no effective control, who preaches as a pastor. Radicals Self-stake in the robe of religion could grow unmolested so for years.
That's why the government has used a commission after the massacre and commissioned a task force to revise the rules for religious organizations. Interior Minister Kindiki formulated it so that the crime has to lead a sharper regulation - also self-regulation - each church, mosque, each temple must lead.
My conclusion as a classification is that "the church" as a whole does not bleed a blame - but a religious market without supervision, combined with administrative forces who ignored warnings, has given Mackenzie the room. The guilt at the murder clearly bears he and his accomplices; the system gap is its own, serious level.
What happened to Shakahola?
Above all, the existing system examines Formalia: such as statutes, documents, fees, security testing and annual reports. It does not systematically control whether a group of content is sectarian, members are financially or psychologically exploited or spreading dangerous teachings.
Especially therefore, the Societies Act was deprived of the Shakahola scandal as outdated and inadequately criticized for modern religious extremely.
The government has decided 2025 a reform course based on a report of a presidential working group. Provided a private law for religious organizations, a religious affair commission, a separate register and a stronger role of roof organizations.
The draft of the religious organizations Bill 2024 provides for, among other things, that a Commission has registrations issued, suspended or revoked, registers, documents tests and at least annually inspects rooms and recordings of religious organizations.
The proposed model is a hybrid from self-regulation and state supervision. Religious roof organizations should participate in the examination of applications and coordination, while the state relies legal requirements and sanctions.
The planned regulation is intended to prevent extremism prevent abuse of religious freedom and improve the internal governance of churches. Critical, however, is that too strong state control could affect constitutional religious freedom; Therefore, the public involvement procedure was controversial and was temporarily shifted.
https://taifaleo.nation.co.ke/habari/mackenzie-kuishi-jela-miaka-200-kutokana-na-vifo-shakahola/
