Judgement Day – Pastor Paul Mackenzie Faces Verdict in Shakahola Trial
A Mombasa court is set to deliver judgment today in the high profile murder case against Pastor Paul Nthenge Mackenzie and about 30 of his co-accused. The group faces 191 counts of murder linked to the deaths of children whose bodies were recovered from mass graves in Shakahola Forest in Kilifi County.
The ruling, scheduled for 9am at the Mombasa Law Courts before Lady Justice Diana Kavedza-Mochache, marks the first major verdict on the most serious charges arising from the Shakahola tragedy. The judgment was originally listed for 16 October but was moved to today. Mackenzie, also known among followers as Mtumishi, Nabii and Papaa, and his associates have all pleaded not guilty. They maintain that no one was forced to die and that the fasting was voluntary.
The charges relate to alleged offences committed between January 2021 and September 2023. Of the 191 victims, 11 have been identified while 180 remain unidentified due to the advanced state of decomposition of many of the remains. Prosecutors say the deaths resulted from a coordinated, religiously motivated programme of extreme fasting directed by Mackenzie. Followers were allegedly instructed to starve themselves so they could “meet Jesus” in heaven. According to the state, there was a structured hierarchy in which children were expected to die first, followed by teenagers, women and then men.
The prosecution closed its case after calling 121 witnesses. These included survivors, investigating officers, medical experts and government analysts. Evidence presented included post-mortem reports showing that the vast majority of victims died from starvation, with a small number showing signs of asphyxia, neck compression or traumatic head injury. The court ruled in April 2026 that the prosecution had established a prima facie case, placing Mackenzie and the remaining accused on their defence.
Defence lawyers challenged the strength of the prosecution evidence and the reliability of the forensic investigations. They argued that the volume of counts risked prejudicing a fair trial and earlier sought to have the charge sheet struck out. One former senior figure in the group, Mackenzie’s one-time head of security Enos Amanya Ngala, entered a plea deal and testified for the state.
The wider Shakahola investigation uncovered more than 400 bodies from shallow graves in the forest. Local gravediggers hired by authorities described finding multiple bodies, including infants and young children, sometimes arranged in lines or stacked in single graves. Some remains showed signs of having been bound. The discovery began in March 2023 after a relative reported missing family members who had joined the group. Excavations continued for months and overwhelmed local morgues.
Mackenzie founded Good News International Ministries in 2003. The church grew through branches across Kenya and a television station that broadcast his sermons. His teachings described formal education as evil, modern medicine as contrary to doctrine and certain government identification systems as the mark of the devil. In 2019 the main church closed and Mackenzie relocated with followers to the remote Shakahola forest, where communities were organised into villages with biblical names.
Families of the deceased have waited more than three years for answers. Some parents lost multiple children. Survivors have given accounts of enforced fasting, denial of medical care and the gradual deterioration of those who fell ill. Mackenzie and other leaders still face separate cases involving terrorism, radicalisation, manslaughter, child cruelty and denial of education. Additional charges relating to further bodies discovered in nearby areas are also pending.
Today’s judgment will determine whether Mackenzie and his co-accused are convicted on the 191 murder counts. The outcome is expected to shape the remaining legal proceedings connected to one of Kenya’s most disturbing recent tragedies.