Kenyan authorities have filed fresh charges against preacher Paul Mackenzie and seven co-accused in connection with the deaths of at least 52 people in Kilifi County, expanding one of the country’s most shocking cult-related cases.
In a statement issued on Wednesday, the Office of the Director of Public Prosecutions said Mackenzie and the other defendants were charged with organised criminal activity, two counts of radicalisation and two counts of facilitating the commission of a terrorist act. The charges relate to deaths recorded in the Kwa Binzaro area of Chakama, in southeastern Kenya.
The accused pleaded not guilty, and the court set March 4, 2026, as the next hearing date.
According to prosecutors, the group promoted an extreme belief system that rejected government authority and allegedly encouraged actions amounting to terrorism. Authorities say Mackenzie continued to orchestrate activities linked to the cult even after his arrest in 2023.
Related Stories
Mackenzie, the founder of the Good News International Church, is already facing separate charges, including murder and terrorism, over the deaths of hundreds of followers whose bodies were exhumed from Shakahola Forest in Kilifi County. The case has been described as one of the deadliest cult tragedies in recent history.
Investigations that began in 2023 have led to the recovery of more than 400 bodies from the forest. Post-mortem examinations showed that most victims died from starvation, while others, including children, are believed to have been strangled, suffocated or beaten.
Prosecutors allege that Mackenzie instructed followers to starve themselves and their children in preparation for the end of the world. He has denied all accusations.
The discovery of additional bodies last year in Kwa Binzaro, about 30 kilometres from Shakahola along the Indian Ocean coast, prompted the latest charges. Prosecutors claim Mackenzie masterminded and oversaw the operations at the new site, using radical teachings to lure victims there.
The case has sparked widespread concern in Kenya, a predominantly Christian country, and prompted calls for stricter oversight of fringe religious groups. Reports by the Kenyan Senate and a state-funded human rights body have suggested that earlier intervention by authorities might have prevented some of the deaths.
Mackenzie remains in custody as multiple cases against him proceed through the courts.
Leave Comments