The son of Kenyan doomsday cult leader Paul Mackenzie has spoken out following his father’s conviction and 200-year prison sentence in Mombasa. Dan Mackenzie was present in court as trial judge Diana Kavedza-Mochache delivered the landmark judgment against the former taxi driver.
The court sentenced Paul Mackenzie for the murder of 190 children and one adult. His sentence comprises 100 years for murder by starvation and 100 years for direct homicide.
A Son’s Rejection of the Cult
Dan Mackenzie revealed that he escaped his father's deadly influence at a young age by refusing to embrace the preacher's religious doctrine. He explained that his refusal to follow the teachings ultimately saved his life from the tragedy.
Speaking after the court proceedings, Dan described how his unwillingness to attend church led to his separation from his father's movement.
"Escaping this cult was just rebellious. I didn't want to join or going to church when I was a kid. So, he just gave up on me and it didn't involve me to go to Shakola,” Dan Mackenzie said.
His decision kept him away from the Shakahola forest, where hundreds of followers later lost their lives.
Life Inside the Shakahola Movement
Paul Mackenzie founded the Good News International Church in 2017 after living in Furuni village in Kilifi County. He built a massive following before authorities shut down his premises, leading him to relocate his followers into the remote Shakahola forest in 2019.
Mackenzie divided the forest settlement into makeshift areas given biblical names such as Jerusalem and Judea. Followers lived in crude structures made of polythene sheeting and thatch.
The preacher strictly forbade followers from sending their children to school or seeking medical care at hospitals, describing such public institutions as satanic.
Prosecutors told the court that Mackenzie ordered members to starve themselves and their children to death so they could reach heaven before the end of the world.
Accomplices beat and threatened victims to ensure compliance. In some instances, children were isolated and starved while their parents watched.
Mixed Reactions Across Communities
The tragedy first came to light in March 2023 after a tip-off to police. Detectives subsequently uncovered mass shallow graves scattered across the forest estate.
In Furunzi village, local residents welcomed the court's 200-year sentence. Community members praised the judgment, noting that the local church now lies deserted with its doors permanently shut.
However, reactions remain divided within Mackenzie's extended family. In Kalasa village, Machakos County, relatives disputed the court's findings.
They maintained that the preacher is innocent, accused the court of delivering a verdict to satisfy public opinion, and announced plans to appeal.
Mackenzie also faces separate terrorism charges and allegations regarding the deaths of 52 people in Kwa Binzaro village, both of which he denies.
