Paul Mackenzie told his followers to take their children into a forest and starve them to death, promising them they would "meet Jesus." A Kenyan court has now sentenced him to life in prison for the murders of 191 people.
The case is one of the most chilling cult tragedies in recent African history. Mackenzie led the Good News International Church, and his influence over his congregation was absolute enough that parents followed his instructions, with devastating consequences for their children.
The death toll of 191 makes this one of the largest mass deaths linked to a single religious figure on the continent. Investigators uncovered the victims in the Shakahola forest in coastal Kenya, a discovery that shocked the country and drew global attention to the dangers of unregulated religious movements.
Mackenzie's life sentence closes a chapter in the courtroom, but the questions it raises about faith, vulnerability, and accountability in religious communities are far from settled.
Originally published by BBC Africa.