Shakahola cult leader Paul Nthenge Mackenzie has been sentenced to 200 years in prison for the murder of 191 people, including 190 children, in one of Kenya's deadliest religious cult tragedies.

The High Court in Mombasa delivered the sentence on Friday, November 6, 2026, following Mackenzie's conviction on all 191 counts of murder on October 19.

Lady Justice Diana Kavedza Mochache handed down the sentence after the court found Mackenzie responsible for orchestrating the deaths of his followers through religious indoctrination and extreme fasting practices in Shakahola Forest, Kilifi County.

The prosecution had sought the death penalty, but the court opted for a combined 200-year prison sentence, citing the need for punishment, deterrence and denunciation of the crimes.

The sentence comprises 100 years for 183 counts of murder through starvation, involving 182 children and one adult, and another 100 years for eight counts of direct homicide involving children. The two sentences will run consecutively.

Mackenzie, the founder of Good News International Ministries, allegedly instructed his followers to relocate to Shakahola Forest and starve themselves and their children to death in preparation to meet Jesus before the end of the world.

Court proceedings established that he operated an organised system of religious indoctrination in which followers were subjected to extreme teachings and restrictions.

The court heard that Mackenzie preached that children should die first, followed by young people, women and finally men.

Investigations also revealed that some victims were physically assaulted, strangled, suffocated or buried alive after attempting to resist the teachings or escape from the forest.

The court rejected claims that the deaths resulted from voluntary fasting, citing evidence of coercion, strict control and the use of armed guards to prevent followers from leaving.

The horrific incident came to light in April 2023 when authorities began discovering and exhuming mass graves in Shakahola Forest.

More than 429 bodies have since been exhumed, exposing the scale of the tragedy that shocked Kenya and attracted international attention.

The case covered 191 victims whose deaths occurred between January 2021 and September 2023.

One of Mackenzie's co-accused, Enos Amanya Ngala, had earlier pleaded guilty to all 191 murder counts.

The 200-year sentence marks a major development in the Shakahola case, which has raised serious questions about religious extremism, regulation of religious institutions, child protection and the responsibility of authorities to prevent exploitation of vulnerable followers.