In Kenya, the guru who encouraged his disciples to starve to "meet Jesus" sentenced to two hundred years in prison

An evangelical cult leader, Paul Mackenzie, was sentenced to 200 years in prison for the deaths of 190 children and one adult, following a mass starvation encouraged by him. The case, known as the Shakahola massacre, revealed hundreds of bodies in Kenya's Malindi region. Mackenzie and 28 accomplices were found guilty of murder between January 2021 and September 2023. Survivors described a belief system that celebrated death as a union with Jesus. The prosecution sought the death penalty, which has not been enforced in Kenya since 1987. Mackenzie faces additional charges of involuntary manslaughter and terrorism, having led a fasting hierarchy that prioritized children. The tragedy has prompted calls for stricter regulations on religious organizations in Kenya.