Christian World | Mombasa High Court finds Paul Mackenzie and 28 others guilty of 191 murders in the Shakahola case; sentencing is set for November 6

ACW | October 20, 2026 — The High Court in Mombasa, Kenya, on Monday, October 19, found preacher Paul Mackenzie and 28 others guilty of 191 counts of murder in the Shakahola forest case, Kenyan media reported.

According to KBC, Kenya's state broadcaster, the verdict was delivered by Justice Diana Kavedza. The outlet said 190 of the 191 victims were children and the deaths occurred between January 2021 and September 2023.

According to The Kenya Times, prosecutors said Mackenzie's followers were urged to undertake extreme fasting to "meet Jesus." Justice Kavedza said in her ruling: "Once at the settlement, they were directed to fast."

The Rio Times reported that probation reports are due in court on Friday, October 30, and sentencing is set for Friday, November 6. Two of the 31 people originally charged died during the trial. No response from Mackenzie's lawyers was reported.

Background: According to The Rio Times, Mackenzie founded Good News International Ministries in 2003. Mass graves were uncovered in Shakahola forest in Kilifi County in 2023, and the outlet says the bodies of 429 people were recovered there. Mackenzie also faces a separate terrorism trial at the Shanzu Law Courts over 52 deaths at a second site, Kwa Binzaro.

Why it matters: According to The Rio Times, Justice Kavedza ruled that religious explanations were "legally immaterial to the determination of mens rea," meaning religious belief did not remove the defendants' criminal responsibility. She described the Bible-based fasting claim as "inconsistent with the biblical accounts upon which it purports to rely."

ACW will continue to follow this story.

Sources: KBC — DPP secures convictions of Mackenzie, 28 others; The Kenya Times — Mackenzie convicted in Shakahola case; The Rio Times — Kenya convicts 29 in Shakahola trial

Photo: The Kenya Times / Kenya Judiciary