A Kenyan father, Stephen Mwiti, has recounted losing all six of his children after his family became involved with doomsday preacher Paul Mackenzie’s church, following the conviction of Mackenzie and 28 co-defendants for the murders of 190 children and one adult. The verdict, delivered on Monday, October 19, 2026, by Justice Diana Kavedza Mochache, found the group guilty of murder over the deaths in Shakahola Forest, where followers were encouraged to starve themselves to meet Jesus before the end of the world.
Father’s account of loss and the role of television
Mwiti, 48, told the BBC that all six of his children died in Shakahola Forest. He said he had only been able to find and bury the remains of one child, his son Samuel. Holding a photograph of his family, Mwiti recalled how Mackenzie’s teachings reached his home through a television set before his family became involved with the church. “This little thing here was the start of all my misery,” Mwiti said, pointing to a television and cable box in his home in the coastal town of Malindi. He also recalled confronting Mackenzie after becoming concerned about what was happening to his family.
Court conviction and the preacher’s background
The BBC reported that Mwiti’s former wife was among those convicted alongside Mackenzie. Mackenzie founded Good News International Church in 2003 and preached an apocalyptic message that the world was approaching its end. Prosecutors said he urged followers to starve themselves and their children so they could reach heaven and meet Jesus. The preacher also taught that formal education and modern healthcare were evil, according to accounts from former followers and investigators.
Organized system and the discovery of mass graves
The court heard that Mackenzie’s group operated an organised system in which religious teachings and a hierarchy were used to enforce the deadly fasting regime. In delivering the verdict, the judge said some children were isolated and denied food while their parents watched. Mackenzie denied the murder charges, maintaining that he had not forced his followers to starve themselves. The court rejected his defence and convicted him and the other defendants. The case emerged in April 2023 after police investigating reports of missing people discovered shallow graves and severely malnourished survivors in Shakahola Forest, in Kenya’s coastal Kilifi County.
Ongoing investigations and sentencing
More than 400 bodies have since been recovered from the forest. Many victims were believed to have died from starvation, while investigators also identified other causes of death, including suffocation and injuries. The 191 murder convictions cover only part of the wider tragedy. Investigations into other deaths are continuing, and Mackenzie faces separate legal proceedings relating to additional alleged offences. The case has raised questions about how Mackenzie was able to continue operating despite earlier encounters with authorities. Police had investigated his activities before his church was shut down in 2019, after which he moved his operations to Shakahola Forest. Mackenzie and his co-defendants are due to be sentenced on November 6, 2026. His lawyer has said he intends to appeal the convictions.
