The cult massacre in Kenya shocks everyone. More than 430 bodies are found in the Good News International Church

As of September 14, 2024, in Kenya, a deadly massacre related to a cult has shocked the world. Since the police raided the "Good News International Church" in the inland forest about 70 kilometers from the coastal town of Malindi, more than 430 victim bodies have been found. Seventeen months later, despite previous warnings about the church's leader, many locals are still shocked by this incident.

The evangelical leader of the "Good News International Church", Paul Mackenzie, has been accused of instructing followers to starve to death to see Jesus. He has pleaded not guilty to multiple charges including the murder of 191 children. If convicted, he will spend the rest of his life in prison. Some people think that Mackenzie's confidence while in detention reflects that some evangelical preachers still have extensive influence even if their doctrines undermine government authority, violate the law or harm believers.

Mackenzie was once a street vendor and taxi driver. In the late 1990s, he was an apprentice preacher. In 2003, he opened a church in Malindi. As a charismatic preacher who can perform miracles and exorcisms and is generous, he has many followers. The initial complaints against him involved opposition to formal schooling and vaccination. In 2019, he was briefly detained for opposing national identification numbers. In the same year, he closed the church in Malindi and led the congregation to Shakahola Forest, where members paid to own plots of land to build houses and live. Mackenzie's demands became higher and higher, and people from different villages were prohibited from communicating and gathering. During the COVID-19 pandemic, he ordered stricter fasting and parents were prohibited from feeding their children.

Kenya is mainly Christian. Since the 1980s, evangelical Christianity has spread widely. Many evangelical churches in Africa operate like sole proprietorships. The authority of pastors comes from the ability that is believed to be able to perform miracles or make prophecies. Autopsies of more than 100 bodies showed causes of death including starvation, strangulation, etc. Some people think that there are more mass graves to be discovered and at least 600 people are missing.