In brief
Kenya’s infamous cult, led by Paul Mackenzie, is accused of orchestrating mass starvation that claimed over 190 lives. The eldest son Dan, who once believed the doctrine, now recounts how children were forced to fast for weeks, how police rescued him and his siblings, and how he is rebuilding his life as a motorbike taxi driver. The article follows the court proceedings, the community’s reaction, and the long‑term impact on victims.
Kenya’s dreaded doomsday cult, led by Paul Mackenzie, has shocked the nation. After police discovered more than 400 bodies in the Shakahola forest, the pastor, allegedly orchestrating a mass starvation scheme, was arrested and later convicted of 191 murders.
Dan Mackenzie, the 27‑year‑old eldest son, says he was forced to fast almost a week when he was 12, and that he and his five younger siblings were still being starved until two weeks before their trial. He reports that police rescued the children and took them to a safe centre.
‘They were basically forcibly fasted because they were denied food for almost three days,’ Dan told BBC Newsday. ‘I had to report my grandmother – she was still following the teachings and holding my siblings captive.’
Today Dan drives a motorbike taxi in Malindi, supporting his family and hoping the verdict will bring comfort to the community that suffered from the cult’s twisted doctrines, which forbade education and branded modern medicine as evil.
Despite his past loyalty to his father, Dan insists he now believes freedom from fear is possible. ‘I hope the verdict would bring some comfort to those who had lost friends and relatives,’ he said.
