A Kenyan court on Friday sentenced a self-proclaimed pastor to 200 years in prison for murdering 190 children and one adult after ordering his followers to starve themselves to death to meet Jesus.
Paul Mackenzie, the leader of the Good News International Church, was found guilty last month of orchestrating one of the deadliest cult-related killings in recent history.
The High Court in Mombasa handed Mackenzie two consecutive 100-year sentences, one for murder by starvation and another for direct homicide.
According to prosecutors, Mackenzie convinced his followers that the world was coming to an end and that they needed to starve themselves and their children to reach heaven before the apocalypse.
Those who refused to follow his instructions were allegedly beaten, threatened and confined without food or water.
Justice Diana Kavedza said Mackenzie had exploited vulnerable followers who trusted him, adding that the defendants showed no remorse for their actions.
The court also sentenced 28 of his accomplices to prison terms ranging from 10 to 160 years.
The case came to light in April 2023 when police discovered human remains buried in shallow graves in Shakahola Forest, near the coastal town of Malindi.
According to the Kenya National Commission on Human Rights, 448 bodies were recovered from the forest, although the latest trial covered only 191 deaths.
Mackenzie denied forcing anyone to starve, but the court rejected his defence. His lawyer said he would appeal the ruling.
The former pastor also faces separate charges involving the deaths of another 52 people at a nearby village.
The killings have raised serious questions about how the sect continued operating despite Mackenzie having been under police scrutiny since 2017.
