NAIROBI, Kenya — The leader of a Kenyan doomsday cult linked to more than 400 deaths was convicted Monday of murdering 190 children and one adult after ordering followers to starve themselves to death to meet Jesus.
Justice Diana Kavedza ruled that Pastor Paul Mackenzie, leader of the Good News International Church, oversaw an organized system that used religious teachings to compel followers to fast until they died.
In 2023, more than 400 bodies were exhumed from shallow graves on the 800-acre (320-hectare) Chakama Ranch in coastal Kilifi County, where Mackenzie's followers lived in mud huts, away from the scrutiny of local communities and authorities.
Mackenzie was arrested and charged with murder alongside his wife and dozens of his followers. Some followers later became prosecution witnesses in the case. The trial began in 2023.
He has denied all charges, saying he did not force his followers to fast.
A mitigation hearing will be held on Oct. 30, while sentencing is scheduled for Nov. 6.
The court found that the directive to fast to death was implemented by targeting children first, while guards were deployed to prevent them from escaping, beating those who attempted to escape or eat.
Mackenzie also told his followers to shun education and health care. In her ruling on Monday, Justice Kavedza said that “medical treatment was presented as an instrument of Satan."
For William Ponda Ngala, whose mother, older brother and two nephews died, Mackenzie's conviction offers hope that it will serve as a lesson to other religious leaders who may seek to exploit their followers in the future.
“Finally, as a family, we can breathe a sigh of relief, knowing that Mackenzie and all those who caused the deaths of my family members have been convicted,” he told The Associated Press on Monday.
In April last year, the Court of Appeal allowed the prosecutor to proceed with 191 murder charges against Mackenzie and his co-accused.
In May 2024, the High Court directed prosecutors to reduce the murder charges to no more than 12 counts. However, the Court of Appeal ruled that the law does not limit the number of charges that can be brought against a defendant.
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This article has been corrected to note that the charges are of murdering 190 children and one adult.