The Kenyan Starvation Cult: Paul Mackenzie and the Shakahola Mass Graves- Season 2 Episode 4

In 2023, authorities in Kenya uncovered mass graves in the Shakahola Forest, exposing one of the deadliest cult cases in modern African history.

Paul Mackenzie, leader of the Good News International Church, is accused of instructing followers to starve themselves and their children in order to “meet Jesus.” Hundreds of bodies were recovered from shallow graves in a forest compound.

Mackenzie and several associates now face multiple criminal charges in connection with the deaths.

In this episode, we examine:

• The structure of the cult
• The legal charges filed against its leader
• Criminal liability in coercive religious movements
• State oversight failures
• The tension between religious freedom and criminal accountability

This is a case study in mass manipulation, institutional breakdown, and preventable tragedy.

Kollectively Vigilant: Law and Crime.