The High Court in Malindi has convicted Paul Nthenge Mackenzie and 28 co-accused on 191 counts of murder linked to the Shakahola deaths, in a case involving 190 children and one adult.
In a judgment delivered on October 19, 2026, High Court Judge D. Kavedza found the 29 active accused persons guilty on all counts. Proceedings against two other accused persons, Kelvin Sudi Asena and Edison Safari Mnyambo, had abated following their deaths during the trial.
The case arose from the deaths of victims whose remains were exhumed from Shakahola Forest in Kilifi County between January 2021 and September 2023. The accused were charged with murder under sections 203 and 204 of the Penal Code.
The court found that Good News International Ministries, founded and led by Mackenzie, operated as an apocalyptic cult whose teachings radicalised followers and encouraged practices that led to deaths through fasting.
According to the judgment, the movement promoted beliefs that rejected formal education and modern medicine, discouraged engagement with government systems and isolated followers from outside influences. The court also found that fasting to the point of death was enforced, with children among those subjected to the practice.
The court held that these practices met the definition of an extreme belief system under Section 12D of the Prevention of Terrorism Act.
On the causes of death, the court found that starvation was directly established in 72 cases. Other victims showed evidence of asphyxia, manual neck compression and traumatic head injuries.
For 110 remains whose advanced decomposition made it difficult to establish precise medical causes of death, the court relied on circumstantial evidence linking the deaths to the fasting regime.
The judgment also addressed the responsibility of parents who knowingly exposed their children to the deadly practices. The court emphasised that parental responsibility is a legal duty to protect a child’s life and does not give parents ownership over their children.
It further found that the accused operated through an organised system in which different individuals played interdependent roles, including security, cooking, grave-digging and enforcement. The court applied Section 21 of the Penal Code in considering their shared criminal responsibility.
The convictions mark a major development in the Shakahola case, which exposed the dangers of religious radicalisation and raised questions about the protection of vulnerable followers and children.
Sentencing is scheduled for November 6, 2026.
