It caused the death of 429 people: The punishment of the sect leader has been announced!

NEWS CENTER/ Paul Mackenzie, who introduced himself as a Kenyan preacher and caused the death of a total of 429 people since 2023, was sentenced to 200 years in prison in today's court for causing 190 children to die of hunger.

Since 2023, hundreds of bodies have been found at the cult base near the coastal resort of Malindi, an incident known as the "Shakahola Forest Massacre".

HE ENCOURAGED US TO STARVE TO 'MEET JESUS'

Mackenzie was accused of encouraging his followers to starve themselves to "meet Jesus."

Last month, he was found guilty, along with 28 defendants, of murdering 190 children and one adult between January 2021 and September 2023. His lawyer said they would appeal the decision.

On Friday, the court sentenced him to 100 years in prison for murder and 100 years in prison for starvation.

JAIL FOR ALL 28 ACCEPTS

Twenty-eight of his accomplices were also sentenced to various long prison sentences.

Mackenzie also faces manslaughter and terrorism charges in other cases, which he denies.

DEATH PENALTY WAS REQUESTED

Prosecutors had requested the death penalty, citing the magnitude of the loss of life and the danger posed by his actions.

Although Kenyan law provides for the death penalty, the country has not carried out any capital punishment since 1987.

Prosecutors also requested that Mackenzie's accomplices be sentenced to life imprisonment, arguing that they were "deeply influenced by Mackenzie and pose a risk of reoffending."

Mackenzie was arrested in April 2023 after a human rights group alerted authorities, and some of his followers were rescued from the 325-hectare (800-acre) farm in the Shakahola forest on the Kenyan coast.

Kenya National Human Rights Commission announced the death toll as 429 by 2024. Some of the victims have not yet been identified.

The incident fueled calls for tighter scrutiny of religious organisations, after it was revealed that Mackenzie had been arrested and released twice before.