In the dense forests of Kenya’s Kilifi County, a self-proclaimed pastor turned one of Africa’s deadliest modern cults into reality.
Paul Nthenge Mackenzie, leader of the Good News International Church, convinced hundreds of followers to starve themselves and their children to “meet Jesus” before the apocalypse.
What began as fringe sermons ended in the Shakahola tragedy, claiming over 450 lives and prompting fresh charges in 2026 for 52 more deaths at a separate site.
Mackenzie, a former taxi driver from Malindi, founded the Good News International Church in 2003.
Drawing from apocalyptic Christian doctrines, he built a following through fiery sermons broadcast on local radio and online.
His message warned of government persecution and urged total separation from mainstream society, education, and modern medicine, framing them as tools of the devil.
By 2019, Mackenzie claimed he had closed the church’s public operations and relocated his most devoted followers to a remote 800-acre plot in Shakahola forest.
There, he preached an extreme form of fasting as the path to salvation.
Believers were told that starving to death would allow them to ascend to heaven ahead of the end times he predicted would arrive in 2023.
Followers sold their possessions, abandoned jobs, and moved deep into the forest with their families.
Mackenzie’s instructions were clear: adults and children must fast progressively, refusing food until death.
Some reports later revealed that those who hesitated were allegedly beaten, strangled, or buried alive to enforce compliance.
In April 2023, police launched a rescue operation after a tip from a concerned relative.
What they uncovered shocked the world: mass graves scattered across the forest, with bodies in various stages of decomposition.
Many victims showed signs of starvation, while autopsies indicated others had been murdered through suffocation or blunt force trauma.
The death toll climbed steadily.
By August 2025, authorities had exhumed 457 bodies, including hundreds of children. Dozens more survivors were rescued in critical condition, many suffering irreversible organ damage.
DNA testing and survivor testimonies confirmed most victims belonged to Mackenzie’s international flock, which had drawn members from across Kenya and beyond.
Even from behind bars, Mackenzie allegedly continued his influence.
In 2025, prosecutors linked him to a second massacre at the Kwa Binzaro homestead in Chakama, where 52 additional bodies were found in shallow graves.
Court documents claim he smuggled notes from prison urging new followers to repeat the deadly fast.
Mackenzie was arrested in 2023 alongside dozens of co-accused.
He faces charges including murder of 191 children, manslaughter, torture, radicalization, and terrorism.
He has consistently pleaded not guilty, insisting followers acted voluntarily and that he never ordered deaths.
As of April 2026, the main Shakahola trial continues in Mombasa’s High Court.
Prosecutors have presented over 120 witnesses, including forensic experts and escapees. Mackenzie’s defense now calls religious scholars and even a Catholic priest to argue his teachings were misinterpreted.
A recent ruling confirmed he has a case to answer, moving proceedings into the defense phase.
The tragedy devastated families across Kenya and highlighted dangers of unregulated religious movements.
Hundreds remain missing, and communities still grapple with grief.
Kenya’s government declared the church an organized criminal group, sparking national debates on monitoring cults while protecting religious freedom.
Ultimately, the Shakahola story serves as a grim warning.
Mackenzie’s blend of charisma and extremism transformed faith into fatal obedience, leaving a legacy of unimaginable loss.
As trials unfold, the world watches to see whether justice can bring closure to one of Kenya’s darkest chapters.