Kenyan court charges cult leader Paul Mackenzie over 52 more deaths | The Star Kenya
Paul Mackenzie, head of the Good News International Church, has been held since his 2023 arrest linked to one of the deadliest cult-related tragedies in recent history, when more than 400 bodies were unearthed in the Shakahola Forest in Kilifi County. Prosecutors allege followers were ordered to starve themselves and their children to death to “go to heaven” before the world ended, a charge Mackenzie denies.
Prosecutors say the latest killings occurred at Kwa Binzaro in Chakama, about 30 km from the original site, where at least 52 bodies were uncovered in 2025, suggesting cult activities continued even after Mackenzie’s detention. Investigators allege he directed followers through radical teachings and communication from prison.
The new charges include murder, participation in organised criminal activity under Kenya’s organised-crime law, counts of radicalisation, and facilitating terrorist acts under national anti-terrorism statutes. The eight accused appeared before a magistrate in the coastal city of Mombasa for joint plea-taking on Wednesday.
Prosecutors told the court that offences took place on various dates between January and July 2025, with the sect operating a structured network that endangered the lives of followers, leading to the deaths. Alongside terrorism-linked counts, separate manslaughter and murder charges were preferred before the High Court.
Senior Principal Magistrate Leah Juma heard the case in Mombasa, where all eight defendants denied the charges. The matter was set to be mentioned again on March 4, 2026, as the prosecution and defence prepare for further hearings.
Mackenzie remains in custody at Shimo la Tewa Maximum Prison while facing multiple proceedings across different courts, and authorities continue to investigate the broader network’s activities and any further victims linked to the cult.
Zambia’s High Court ha
