Kenyan Cult Leader Faces New Charges Over 52 Additional Deaths
Pastor Paul Mackenzie, linked to the Shakahola Forest Massacre, accused of organized crime and facilitating deaths in Kilifi County
- Pastor Paul Mackenzie faces additional accusations related to 52 deaths in Kwa Binzaro, Kilifi County
- Mackenzie, linked to the 2023 Shakahola Forest Massacre, has pleaded not guilty to all charges
- harges include manslaughter, organized criminal activity, and facilitating a terrorist act
A self-proclaimed preacher in Kenya, Pastor Paul Mackenzie, has been charged with additional crimes related to the deaths of 52 people, prosecutors confirmed Wednesday.
Mackenzie, the leader of a notorious starvation cult, first drew international attention in 2023 when hundreds of bodies were discovered near Malindi in what became known as the “Shakahola Forest Massacre”—one of the deadliest cult-related tragedies in recent history.
The preacher, who has pleaded not guilty to multiple manslaughter charges, remains in custody in Mombasa. Authorities revealed that further remains were discovered last year in Binzaro, about 30 kilometres from Shakahola, suggesting that cult activity may have continued even after Mackenzie’s arrest.
Kenya’s Office of Public Prosecutions announced that Mackenzie and several associates now face charges including organized criminal activity, radicalization, and facilitating a terrorist act, specifically connected to the deaths in Kwa Binzaro, Kilifi County.
Court officials confirmed that the defendants have again pleaded not guilty, with the next hearing scheduled for March 4, 2026.
Prosecutors allege that Mackenzie promoted an extreme belief system that defied government authority while endangering public safety. The case underscores the persistent challenges authorities face in regulating religious movements in Kenya, where interventions are often resisted on constitutional grounds safeguarding the separation of Church and State.
The latest charges serve as a reminder of the dangers posed by radical groups exploiting spiritual authority to perpetrate violence, and the ongoing legal efforts to hold leaders accountable for mass deaths.
