Kenya cult leader Paul Mackenzie gets 200-year prison sentence for 191 deaths

A Kenyan court has sentenced pastor Paul Mackenzie to 200 years behind bars following his conviction for the murders of 191 followers, the majority of them young children.

The ruling was delivered by the High Court sitting in the coastal city of Mombasa. Mackenzie, who founded and led the Good News International Church, was found guilty of killing 190 children and one adult after instructing members of his congregation to fast until death under the belief that doing so would allow them to meet Jesus.

In handing down the lengthy prison term, Justice Diana Kavedza determined that Mackenzie held primary criminal culpability for the catastrophe. The judge highlighted that the religious leader had deliberately relocated his congregation to an isolated area before directing them to starve themselves.

The case represents one of the deadliest cult-related tragedies in the nation's recent history. Beyond the specific convictions handled in this trial, authorities have connected Mackenzie's apocalyptic group to the loss of more than 400 lives in total.

The sentence concludes a major chapter in the legal proceedings stemming from the deadly starvation scheme, which horrified the public and led to extensive investigations into the church's remote operations.