The Mombasa High Court has found preacher Paul Nthenge Mackenzie and his co-accused guilty of radicalising followers in a case linked to the deaths of 191 people, including 190 children and one adult.
The ruling relates to the Shakahola tragedy in Kilifi County, where hundreds of bodies were recovered from mass graves in 2023 during investigations into Mackenzie’s Good News International Ministries.
The prosecution accused Mackenzie and his associates of promoting extreme religious teachings that led followers to embrace dangerous fasting practices in the belief that they would attain salvation.
The case has drawn national attention to the dangers of religious radicalisation and the protection of children and other vulnerable people from harmful practices.
Sentencing is scheduled for November 6, 2026.
