The verdict has been announced in the case regarding the Shakahola Forest massacre, which is considered one of the largest sect massacres in modern history in Kenya.
Paul Mackenzie, who introduced himself as a clergyman, was sentenced to a total of 200 years in prison at the hearing on Friday, November 6.
Mombasa High Court Judge Diana Kavedza announced that Mackenzie was sentenced to 100 years in prison for starvation and 100 years in prison for direct murder.
The court ruled that Mackenzie, who was held responsible for the deaths of 190 children and one adult, led his followers to death using their religious beliefs.
'HE ORDERED THEM TO DIE STARVING TO GO TO HEAVEN'
According to the prosecutor's office, Mackenzie, who operated in the forest area near the city of Malindi on the Indian Ocean coast in eastern Kenya, claimed that the apocalypse was approaching and ordered his followers to starve themselves to reach heaven.
Mackenzie, the leader of the religious community called Good News International Church, wanted not only adults but also children to go hungry.
According to the information obtained within the scope of the investigation, sect members threatened and used physical violence against people who did not comply with Mackenzie's instructions.
The bodies of the victims, extremely emaciated from starvation, were found in shallow graves and septic tanks dug in the forest. It was determined that some people were buried alive.
Mackenzie, who denied the murder charges in court, argued that he did not force anyone to starve. However, the court did not accept the defendant's defense.
448 BODY FOUND IN THE FOREST: THE NUMBER OF THE DEAD MAY REACH 500
The incident that shook Kenya came to light in April 2023, when security forces began finding bodies in the Shakahola Forest near Malindi.
According to the data of the Kenya National Human Rights Commission, the bodies of a total of 448 people were found during searches in the region.
However, the case, whose trial has been completed, involves the deaths of 190 children and one adult.
Mackenzie is also held responsible for the deaths of 52 people in another village about 30 kilometers away.
It is estimated that the total loss of life thought to be related to Mackenzie, who denied the accusations made within the scope of a separate investigation, may have reached 500.
The scale of the massacre has been compared to the Jonestown cult disaster in Guyana in 1978, when more than 900 people died, and the cult disaster in Uganda in 2000, when more than 700 people died.
SHE LOST HER 6 CHILDREN: 'I WILL NEVER GET THEM BACK'
48-year-old Stephen Mwiti, who lost six of his children in the massacre, told Reuters about the pain he experienced.
Mwiti said that her husband took their children to Shakahola Forest, where they were starved to death.
Stating that her husband was among those found guilty in the case, Mwiti emphasized that children cannot make such a decision even if adults have agreed to fast voluntarily.
“Even if adults have agreed to fast, what about children?” Mwiti asked and continued his words as follows:
"I lost my children. No matter what happens to Mackenzie and his accomplices, I can't bring them back."
Mwiti stated that he wanted Mackenzie to be sentenced to death penalty or life imprisonment to prevent him from causing similar deaths again.
HIS OWN SON IS AMONG THE VICTIMS OF THE CULT
Mackenzie's son, Dan Mackenzie, also said that his father did not even protect his own family.
Dan Mackenzie explained that he left the community because he no longer believed in the sect's teachings that it was necessary to die to reach heaven, and stated that he survived thanks to this decision.
"I didn't believe the rumors about going to heaven anymore. So I left the church and started living my own life," Dan Mackenzie said.
Stating that he also lost his friends and younger brother in the massacre, Mackenzie said that the sentence given to his father means justice for those who lost their lives.
