Paul Mackenzie, leader of the Good News International Church, has been convicted of murder over 191 deaths in Kenya’s Shakahola Forest, a case that has renewed scrutiny of how the group operated despite prior attention from authorities.

Accounts from across the political spectrum agree on the central finding: Mackenzie and 28 other leaders were convicted over the deaths of 190 children and one adult after followers were allegedly instructed to starve themselves and their children. More than 400 bodies have been recovered from the forest since 2023, although only 26 have been identified because many remains were severely decomposed.¹

The left-leaning account places the verdict in the context of institutional oversight. It notes that Mackenzie had been known to authorities since at least 2017, that his church was shut down in 2019, and that he later moved followers to the forest. Prosecutors said the group organised a doomsday sect in which people were told starvation would allow them to reach heaven before the end of the world; Mackenzie denied forcing anyone to starve, an argument the court rejected.¹

The right-leaning account similarly highlights the alleged religious justifications and restrictions on medical care, reporting that followers were told to starve children so they could “meet Jesus” and that modern medicine was described as “evil.”² Its focus extends to broader safety concerns, noting a US State Department advisory urging travellers to reconsider travel to Kenya because of risks including crime, kidnapping, terrorism and unrest.²

For bereaved relatives, the case remains personal rather than abstract. Francis Wanje, who said he lost eight family members including two grandchildren, described the impact as “a heavy thing” that had caused serious psychological harm.¹ Mackenzie also faces separate charges connected to other deaths in the forest, which he has denied.¹