The eldest son of Paul Mackenzie, a Kenyan cult leader convicted of orchestrating the deaths of 191 people, has disclosed that his younger siblings were subjected to forced fasting as recently as two weeks before the trial concluded. Dan Mackenzie, 27, reported the case to police, who rescued eight children—including his five younger siblings—from their grandmother's residence and transferred them to a rescue facility. According to BBC News, the children had been denied food for nearly three days as part of the cult's practices.
On October 19, 2026, Mackenzie was found guilty of murdering 190 children and one adult who died from starvation in Shakahola forest, located near Kenya's coastal region. He had commanded members of his doomsday cult to starve themselves and their children to death in order to "meet Jesus". News Observer reported that 28 other cult leaders were also convicted of murder alongside Mackenzie, though his lawyer indicated the defence intends to appeal the conviction.
Dan Mackenzie, who initially defended his father, gradually came to understand the scale of the tragedy as the court proceedings unfolded.
"When I was 12, I was forced to fast for almost a week,"he recounted to BBC's Newsday programme. He also recalled church members subjecting him to hours of beatings to compel his attendance at services during his childhood.
Recognising the severity of the situation, Dan made the difficult decision to report family members who continued to embrace the cult's teachings in order to protect his siblings.
"I had to report my grandmother."The cult leader's ideology prohibited education and condemned modern medicine as
"evil"."Dan left school at age seven as a result of these doctrines.
How has Dan Mackenzie rebuilt his life?
Dan now resides in Malindi, a coastal town, where he works as a motorcycle taxi driver to support himself and his younger siblings. Despite the stigma attached to his father's crimes, he has found acceptance within the community.
"Some people in the town had been angry with him because of his father's crimes, but others had accepted him because he had distanced himself from that life"."He expressed hope that the verdict would provide solace to those who lost loved ones to the cult.
What did the court find about the cult's practices?
Justice Diana Mochache delivered an eight-hour judgment in Mombasa, the port city where the trial took place. She found that Mackenzie's followers regarded him as
"Jesus's mouthpiece"."According to AP News, the court determined that the accused used religious teachings and a hierarchical structure to enforce fasting, rejecting the defence argument that victims fasted voluntarily.
One co-accused testified that Mackenzie had instructed followers that anyone resisting fasting must be forced to go to heaven
"through kicks and blows"."Burials in the forest where the cult operated were euphemistically described as
"weddings","with those who died celebrated as having
"wedded with Jesus","according to the judge's findings.
What impact has the verdict had on victims' families?
Stephen Mwiti, 48, who lost all six of his children to the cult, welcomed the conviction.
"I'm a happy man, that all persons have been convicted,"he told the BBC outside the courthouse. His former wife was among those convicted of murder alongside Mackenzie.
What are the broader charges against Mackenzie?
The murder conviction represents the first ruling on the most serious charges against Mackenzie, who was arrested in 2023 after more than 400 bodies were discovered in shallow graves in Shakahola forest. He and other cult leaders face separate cases involving terrorism, radicalisation, and denying children access to education. AP News reported that Mackenzie faces separate manslaughter, terrorism and child-torture charges related to more than 230 additional deaths.
Citizen Digital noted that of the original 31 accused, two died during the proceedings. Another defendant, Enos Amanya Ngala, pleaded guilty to all 191 counts and awaits sentencing. The convicted defendants face life imprisonment as their sentence.
What happens next in the legal process?
Mackenzie is scheduled to be sentenced on 6 November 2026. According to AllAfrica, pre-sentence reports are due in court on 30 October, followed by defence mitigation submissions before the final sentencing hearing takes place.
