Editing Good News International Ministries

{{Short description|Cult in Malindi, Kenya}}
{{Use British English|date=April 2023}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=April 2023}}
{{Infobox Christian denomination
|name=Good News International Ministries
|image=Good News International Ministries website logo.jpg
|imagewidth=280px
|caption=Logo used on Mackenzie's website
|main_classification=[[New religious movement]]<br />[[Apocalypticism|Apocalyptic]], [[Anti-Western sentiment|anti-Western]] and [[Islamophobia|anti-Muslim]] church movement
|orientation=[[Neo-Pentecostal]]
|leader=Paul Nthenge Mackenzie (2003–present)
|area=[[Kilifi County]], Kenya
|founder=Paul Nthenge Mackenzie
|founded_date=2003
|defunct=2019 (Mackenzie's claim)<br />2023 (police claim)
|website={{URL|http://goodnewsintlministries.blogspot.com/}} ([https://web.archive.org/web/20240812163056/https://goodnewsintlministries.blogspot.com/ archived])
|website_title1=goodnewsintlministries.blogspot.com
}}
The '''Good News International Ministries''' ('''GNIM'''), also known as the '''Good News International Church''' and the '''Servant P. N. Mackenzie Ministries,''' and commonly referred to as the '''Shakahola cult''', is an [[Apocalypticism|apocalyptic]] Christian [[new religious movement]] which was founded by '''Paul Nthenge Mackenzie''' and his first wife in 2003.<ref name="PBS">{{Cite web |date=23 April 2023 |title=Kenyan authorities find 39 bodies during investigation of religious cult leader |url=https://www.pbs.org/newshour/world/kenyan-authorities-find-39-bodies-during-investigation-of-religious-cult-leader |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230423214234/https://www.pbs.org/newshour/world/kenyan-authorities-find-39-bodies-during-investigation-of-religious-cult-leader |archive-date=23 April 2023 |access-date=24 April 2023 |website=[[PBS NewsHour]] |language=en-us}}</ref> Following the deaths of over 400 of its members and their children at the movement's base in Shakahola, [[Kilifi County]], [[Kenya]], the group has been designated by the Kenyan government as an organized criminal group.<ref name=":1">{{cite news |date=14 May 2023 |title=Kenya cult: Children targeted to die first, pastor says |url=https://www.bbc.com/news/world-africa-65588273 |work=BBC News}}</ref><ref name=":0" /> {{As of|2024|August}}, Mackenzie was on trial, accused of manslaughter, torture and terrorism.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Kenya cult leader Paul Mackenzie on trial for manslaughter |url=https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2024/8/12/kenya-cult-leader-paul-mackenzie-on-trial-for-manslaughter |access-date=2024-08-25 |website=Al Jazeera |language=en}}</ref>

GNIM attracted international attention in April 2023 when it was revealed that Mackenzie had allegedly instructed members to [[Mass suicide|starve themselves en masse]] to "meet Jesus," resulting in the deaths of over 400 people.<ref>{{cite web | url=https://www.citizen.digital/news/shakahola-death-toll-climbs-to-372-after-12-more-bodies-exhumed-n323399 | title=Shakahola death toll climbs to 372 after 12 more bodies exhumed | date=12 July 2023 }}</ref> The group, widely described<ref>{{cite web | url=https://inform.ac/cult/ | title=Is it a cult? }}</ref> as a [[cult]] or [[doomsday cult]],<ref name="PBS" /><ref name=":1" /><ref name="mandy">{{cite web |first=Wakesa |last=Dickson |date=23 April 2023 |title=Kilifi Cult: Police so far discover 58 shallow graves |url=https://mandynews.com/malindi-cult-kenya-paul-nthenge-mackenzie/ |accessdate=23 April 2023 |website=Mandy News |archive-date=23 April 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230423115819/https://mandynews.com/malindi-cult-kenya-paul-nthenge-mackenzie/ |url-status=live }}</ref><ref name="reutersapril25">{{Cite news |last1=Obulutsa |first1=George |last2=Shirbon |first2=Estelle |date=25 April 2023 |title=Kenya hunger cult deaths reach 89, minister prays survivors will 'tell the story' |language=en |work=[[Reuters]] |url=https://www.reuters.com/world/africa/death-toll-kenyan-starvation-cult-has-risen-89-interior-minister-2023-04-25/ |url-status=live |access-date=25 April 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230425125109/https://www.reuters.com/world/africa/death-toll-kenyan-starvation-cult-has-risen-89-interior-minister-2023-04-25/ |archive-date=25 April 2023}}</ref> is adamantly [[anti-Western sentiment|anti-Western]], with amenities such as health care, education, and sports being dismissed as "evils of western life" and with Mackenzie condemning the [[United States]], [[United Nations]], and the [[Catholic Church]] as "tools of Satan". The group devotes much of its teachings to the [[Eschatology|end times]]. They were purportedly influenced by the End-Time Message of [[William Branham]].<ref name="mandy"/><ref name="mpasha" /> Homicide detectives working on the case alleged the group was radicalized by Branham's teachings, leading to their deaths.<ref name = "pd"/>

Mackenzie founded the GNIM in 2003 and accumulated a sizable following, largely due to convincing his followers that he could speak directly with God.<ref name="goodnews2">{{cite web |title=About Us |url=http://goodnewsintlministries.blogspot.com/p/about-us.html?_sm_au_=iqVT4WQQJJHq3TqPRsp6kKs8G3jqt |accessdate=20 April 2023 |publisher=Good News Ministries |archive-date=20 April 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230420204601/http://goodnewsintlministries.blogspot.com/p/about-us.html?_sm_au_=iqVT4WQQJJHq3TqPRsp6kKs8G3jqt |url-status=live }}</ref> Beginning in the late 2010s, Mackenzie's church began to receive a renewed wave of scrutiny regarding the internal practices of the organization.<ref>{{Cite news |author-link=Judiciary of Kenya |date=27 April 2023 |title=PRESS STATEMENT – PASTOR PAUL MACKENZIE |url=https://www.judiciary.go.ke/statements/ |access-date=7 May 2023}}</ref> In 2017, Mackenzie and his wife faced several charges relating to the church. He was chastised for inciting students to abandon their education after denouncing it as "ungodly", as well as radicalizing and denying medical care to the children afterwards; several children died as a result and, in 2017, 93 children were rescued by government authorities from the group.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Okwembah |first=Nehemiah |title=Controversial preacher to close down church |url=https://www.standardmedia.co.ke/kenya/article/2001347623/controversial-preacher-to-close-down-church |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230427203310/https://www.standardmedia.co.ke/kenya/article/2001347623/controversial-preacher-to-close-down-church |archive-date=27 April 2023 |access-date=27 April 2023 |website=The Standard |language=en }}</ref> After another arrest in 2019, he departed [[Malindi]] and headed to the [[Shakahola forest]], where [[Shakahola Forest incident|the mass starvation]] occurred in 2023.

Mackenzie did not join his followers in the mass starvation; a dietary menu was found on the wall in one of the special houses in the forest believed to be his resting room. He was taken into police custody as the process of exhuming the bodies continued,<ref>{{Cite news |last=Kimeu |first=Caroline |date=2023-05-02 |title=Kenyan cult leader accused of inciting children to starve to death |language=en-GB |work=The Guardian |url=https://www.theguardian.com/world/2023/may/02/kenyan-cult-leader-accused-of-inciting-children-to-starve-to-death |access-date=2023-05-03 |issn=0261-3077}}</ref> and on January 18, 2024, he was charged with 191 counts of murder. The church was on 31 January 2024 declared by the Kenya government as an “organized criminal group” under the [[Prevention of Organized Crimes Act 2010|Prevention of Organized Crimes Act]].<ref name=":0">{{Cite web |last=MAKONG |first=BRUHAN |date=2024-01-31 |title=CS Kindiki declares Mackenzie's Good News International Ministries an organized criminal group |url=https://www.capitalfm.co.ke/news/2024/01/cs-kindiki-declares-mackenzies-good-news-international-ministries-an-organized-criminal-group/ |access-date=2024-08-25 |website=Capital News |language=en-US}}</ref>

==History==
GNIM was founded in 2003<ref>{{Cite web |date=22 April 2023 |title=How did we get here? Questions arise over Malindi cult that has been operating since 2003 |url=https://www.citizen.digital/news/how-did-we-get-here-questions-arise-over-malindi-cult-that-has-been-operating-since-2003-n318494 |access-date=24 April 2023 |website=Citizen Digital |language=en-KE |archive-date=24 April 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230424161925/https://www.citizen.digital/news/how-did-we-get-here-questions-arise-over-malindi-cult-that-has-been-operating-since-2003-n318494 |url-status=live }}</ref> by Paul Nthenge Mackenzie, as a small church.<ref>{{Cite web |date=2023-05-02 |title='I started a church with Mackenzie, then he ruined our lives': Tale of fight for church and the rise of a cult leader |url=https://nation.africa/kenya/news/i-started-a-church-with-mackenzie-then-he-ruined-our-lives-4218394 |access-date=2023-05-07 |website=Nation |language=en}}</ref> Before the founding, Mackenzie worked as a taxi driver in [[Nairobi]] from 1997 to 2003, during which he was charged four times for his sermons but was acquitted due to lack of evidence.<ref name="standardmedia">{{Cite web |author1=Benard Sanga |author2=Nehemiah Okwembah |title=Stalled case of pastor in cult-like deaths exposes cracks in justice system |url=https://www.standardmedia.co.ke/national/article/2001471011/stalled-case-of-pastor-in-cult-like-deaths-exposes-cracks-in-justice-system |access-date=24 April 2023 |website=The Standard |language=en |archive-date=22 April 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230422045539/https://www.standardmedia.co.ke/national/article/2001471011/stalled-case-of-pastor-in-cult-like-deaths-exposes-cracks-in-justice-system |url-status=live }}</ref> When the church began to prosper, he moved to [[Migingo Village]] in [[Malindi]]. Mackenzie was able to amass a large following, largely via convincing his congregation that he could personally communicate with God.<ref name="tuko1">{{Cite web |last=Lisimba |first=Hillary |date=24 April 2023 |title=Rise of Pst MacKenzie who 'speaks directly to God' to infamous death cult leader |url=https://www.tuko.co.ke/people/family/503292-the-making-a-cult-rise-pastor-paul-mckenzies-good-news-international-empire/ |access-date=24 April 2023 |website=Tuko.co.ke – Kenya news. |language=en |archive-date=24 April 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230424114928/https://www.tuko.co.ke/people/family/503292-the-making-a-cult-rise-pastor-paul-mckenzies-good-news-international-empire/ |url-status=live }}</ref>

In 2016, according to unconfirmed reports, a member of the group sold their property on the island of [[Lamu]] to Mackenzie for 20 million [[Kenyan shilling|KSh]] and then gave the money to Mackenzie. The preacher allegedly used this money to purchase property in the cities of [[Mombasa]] and [[Malindi]] as well as two vehicles, and to fund a television station to broadcast his message. This move by certain followers convinced several other members to follow suit, selling their properties and giving money to the [[New religious movement|church]].<ref name="tuko1"/>

In 2017, Mackenzie and his second wife, Joyce Mwikamba (1981–2018),<ref>https://twitter.com/ntvkenya/status/1658552153064067078</ref> were charged with promoting radicalization, but later declared innocent,<ref>{{Cite web |date=17 October 2017 |title=Controversial Malindi televangelist & his wife released by court |website=YouTube |url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Fn1VoCqbO7c}}</ref> as well as denying children access to health care and education and running an unauthorized school and television station; the latter precipitated the closure of the television station the following year by the [[Kenya Film Classification Board]].<ref>{{Cite web |last=Lwanga |first=Charles |date=2 October 2017 |title=Cleric in extreme teachings case detained |url=https://nation.africa/kenya/news/cleric-in-extreme-teachings-case-detained-458446 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230422194458/https://nation.africa/kenya/news/Cleric-in-extreme-teachings-case-still-detained/1056-4121862-15m5hyc/index.html |archive-date=22 April 2023 |access-date=22 April 2023 |website=Nation |language=en}}</ref><ref name="citizendigital" /><ref name="Couple accuses pastor">{{Cite web |last= |first= |title=Couple accuses pastor of holding their four sons |url=https://www.standardmedia.co.ke/article/2001347642/couple-accuses-pastor-of-holding-their-four-sons |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230422221929/https://www.standardmedia.co.ke/article/2001347642/couple-accuses-pastor-of-holding-their-four-sons |archive-date=22 April 2023 |access-date=22 April 2023 |website=The Standard |language=en}}</ref> Several children died as a result of the lack of health care, and in 2017, government authorities rescued 93 children from Mackenzie's church.<ref name = "mpasha">{{cite news|url=https://mpasho.co.ke/news/2023-04-24-11-things-you-didnt-know-about-shakahola-pastor-mackenzie/|title=11 Things you didn't know about Shakahola Pastor Mackenzie|publisher=Mpasho News|author=Wampui, Peninah|date=24 April 2023|accessdate=24 April 2023|archive-date=24 April 2023|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230424084519/https://mpasho.co.ke/news/2023-04-24-11-things-you-didnt-know-about-shakahola-pastor-mackenzie/|url-status=live}}</ref> In 2018, he was criticised by community leaders including the then-Malindi MP, [[Aisha Jumwa]],<ref>{{Cite web |last=Lwanga |first=Charles |date=31 December 2018 |title=Aisha Jumwa threatens to storm Good News Church |url=https://nation.africa/kenya/counties/kilifi/aisha-jumwa-threatens-to-storm-good-news-church-122274 |access-date=22 April 2023 |website=Nation |language=en |archive-date=22 April 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230422195601/https://nation.africa/kenya/counties/kilifi/aisha-jumwa-threatens-to-storm-good-news-church-122274 |url-status=live }}</ref> and other activists<ref>{{Cite web |last=Lwanga |first=Charles |date=9 October 2018 |title=Malindi residents want church opposed to education closed |url=https://nation.africa/kenya/counties/kilifi/malindi-residents-want-church-opposed-to-education-closed-96240 |access-date=22 April 2023 |website=Nation |language=en |archive-date=22 April 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230422200003/https://nation.africa/kenya/counties/kilifi/malindi-residents-want-church-opposed-to-education-closed-96240 |url-status=live }}</ref><ref>{{Cite AV media |title=Mhubiri matatani kwa mahubiri yake #SemaNaCitizen |url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=P0DBeuBPisE |access-date=22 April 2023 |language=en |archive-date=22 April 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230422221931/https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=P0DBeuBPisE&gl=US&hl=en |url-status=live }}</ref> for inciting children to drop out of school, often without parental consent.<ref>{{Cite AV media |title=Polisi huko wamtia mbaroni kasisi Paul Makenzi,Anafunza waumini kuwa elimu rasmi ni dhambi |url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iU5OUp5bEsE |access-date=22 April 2023 |language=en |archive-date=22 April 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230422221931/https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iU5OUp5bEsE&gl=US&hl=en |url-status=live }}</ref> Mackenzie was acquitted in one of two criminal cases related to these charges on 29 October 2021, while the other was dropped.<ref name="StandardApril27">{{Cite web |last=Owino |first=Winfrey |date=April 27, 2023 |title=Previous criminal cases against Pastor Paul Mackenzie and Good News International |url=https://www.standardmedia.co.ke/national/article/2001471821/previous-criminal-cases-against-pastor-paul-mackenzie-and-good-news-international |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230427190539/https://www.standardmedia.co.ke/national/article/2001471821/previous-criminal-cases-against-pastor-paul-mackenzie-and-good-news-international |archive-date=April 27, 2023 |access-date=May 8, 2023 |website=[[The Standard (Kenya)]] |language=en}}</ref><ref name="ABC">{{Cite news |date=2023-04-27 |title=As cult deaths top 100, second Kenyan pastor arrested over 'mass killings' |language=en-AU |work=[[ABC News (Australia)]] |url=https://www.abc.net.au/news/2023-04-28/another-pastor-arrested-as-deaths-toll-passes-100-in-kenyan-cult/102276402 |access-date=2023-05-08}}</ref> He is set to have a preliminary hearing on 26 June 2023 in a case that involves incitement to disobedience of the law, being in possession and distributing films to the public which had not been examined and classified by the [[Kenya Film Classification Board]] and operating a filming studio and producing films without a valid filming license from the board.<ref name="StandardApril27" /><ref>{{Cite web |date=April 28, 2023 |title=Judiciary releases the status of Paul Mackenzie pending Court Cases |url=https://www.kenyanews.go.ke/judiciary-releases-the-status-of-paul-mackenzie-pending-court-cases/ |access-date=May 8, 2023 |publisher=[[Kenya News Agency]]}}</ref>

In 2019, Mackenzie was arrested for inciting the public against registration for [[Huduma Kenya#Huduma Namba|Huduma Namba]] by likening it to the [[mark of the beast]].<ref>{{Cite web |last=Lwanga |first=Charles |date=19 April 2019 |title=Pastor Paul Makenzi in trouble again |url=https://nation.africa/kenya/news/pastor-paul-makenzi-in-trouble-again-157952 |access-date=22 April 2023 |website=Nation |language=en |archive-date=22 April 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230422195349/https://nation.africa/kenya/news/pastor-paul-makenzi-in-trouble-again-157952 |url-status=live }}</ref> A number of other church leaders shared Mackenzie's position at that time.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Mombasa church curses 'satanic' Huduma Namba |url=https://www.the-star.co.ke/counties/coast/2019-04-09-mombasa-church-curses-satanic-huduma-namba/ |access-date=2023-05-22 |website=The Star |language=en-KE}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |date=23 April 2019 |title=Kenya: Pastor Sells Off Property for Fear of 'Satanic' Huduma Namba |url=https://allafrica.com/stories/201904230645.html}}</ref> He was also accused of [[brainwashing]] and abducting children to join his group.<ref name="Couple accuses pastor"/> It was after this incident that he closed his church in Migingo and moved to the remote location in Shakahola.<ref name="tuko1" /> Mackenzie claimed that GNIM had been shut down completely, but the [[BBC]] reported that his sermons continued after this date.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-africa-65412822|title=Pastor Paul Mackenzie: What did the starvation cult leader preach?|website=BBC News|date=10 May 2023}}</ref>

==Teachings==
Mackenzie's teachings have been described as placing a profound emphasis on [[Eschatology|end-time]] doomsday warnings. Mackenzie's message was also [[Anti-Western sentiment|anti-Western]], and he railed against such "evils of western life" as medical services, education, food, sports, music, and "the uselessness of life". In a song titled "The [[Antichrist]]", he denounced the Catholic Church, the United States, and the United Nations as tools of [[Satan]].<ref name="tuko1" />

One media report alleged that he predicted that the world would end on 15 April 2023.<ref name="AJ201">[https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2023/5/13/kenya-starvation-cult-death-toll-climbs-to-201 Kenya starvation cult death toll climbs to 201], Al Jazeera</ref>

According to some news media reports, GNIM may have been influenced by the teachings of [[William Branham]], an informal global network of churches that emerged from [[Oneness Pentecostalism]].<ref name = "mpasha"/><ref name = "mandy"/><ref name = "goodnews">{{cite web|url=http://goodnewsintlministries.blogspot.com/p/about-us.html?_sm_au_=iqVT4WQQJJHq3TqPRsp6kKs8G3jqt|title=About Us|publisher=Good News Ministries|accessdate=20 April 2023|archive-date=20 April 2023|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230420204601/http://goodnewsintlministries.blogspot.com/p/about-us.html?_sm_au_=iqVT4WQQJJHq3TqPRsp6kKs8G3jqt|url-status=live}}</ref> Investigators uncovered booklets of Branham's teachings at the commune which were pictured in a news broadcast.<ref>{{cite news|title=Number of graves discovered rise to 24 in Shakahola Village|publisher=DW News|date=24 April 2023|time-caption=3:40|url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9psIJugg3H8|access-date=24 April 2023|archive-date=24 April 2023|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230424205652/https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9psIJugg3H8|url-status=live}}</ref><ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.spieltimes.com/news/39-bodies-found-on-paul-makenzi-kenya-pastors-land-followers-allegedly-fasted-to-death/|title=39 bodies found on Paul Makenzi, Kenya pastor's land, followers allegedly 'fasted to death'|date=24 April 2023|author=Bias, Sarkar|accessdate=25 April 2023|publisher=SpielNews|archive-date=24 April 2023|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230424143559/https://www.spieltimes.com/news/39-bodies-found-on-paul-makenzi-kenya-pastors-land-followers-allegedly-fasted-to-death/#.ZEfb13bMJD8|url-status=live}}</ref>

While a majority of the group's adherents have been Kenyans, some were originally from [[Tanzania]], [[Uganda]], and [[Nigeria]].<ref name=tablet>{{cite web|url=https://thetablet.org/shocking-cult-starvation-massacre-in-kenya-leaves-95-dead-hundreds-missing/|title=Shocking Cult Starvation Massacre in Kenya Leaves 95 Dead, Hundreds Missing|date=27 April 2023|access-date=28 April 2023|archive-date=30 April 2023|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230430214451/https://thetablet.org/shocking-cult-starvation-massacre-in-kenya-leaves-95-dead-hundreds-missing/|url-status=live}}</ref>

==Mass starvation==
{{main|Shakahola Forest incident}}

In the early weeks of April 2023, a man contacted the police after his wife and daughter left Nairobi to join Mackenzie's remote commune in [[Kilifi County]] and did not return. When police entered the community to investigate, they discovered [[Emaciation|emaciated]] people and shallow graves. Fifteen members of the group were rescued by police; they stated that they had been ordered to starve themselves to death to "meet Jesus". The 15 followers were in poor condition, and four died before they reached a hospital.<ref name="hindustan">{{Cite web |date=24 April 2023 |title=Number of bodies exhumed from suspected Kenyan cult graves jumps to 47 |url=https://www.hindustantimes.com/world-news/number-of-bodies-exhumed-from-suspected-kenyan-cult-graves-jumps-to-47-101682280821087.html |access-date=24 April 2023 |website=Hindustan Times |language=en |archive-date=23 April 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230423213441/https://www.hindustantimes.com/world-news/number-of-bodies-exhumed-from-suspected-kenyan-cult-graves-jumps-to-47-101682280821087.html |url-status=live }}</ref>

Over the following three weeks, police searched the {{cvt|800|acre|km2|adj=on}} commune, finding more shallow graves and additional survivors who were starving to death. The first bodies recovered from the graves were mostly children. One of the graves was believed by police to contain the bodies of five members of the same family – three children and their parents. One of the graves had up to six people inside it. Another grave had 12 children in it. Some of the bodies were not buried. Authorities also discovered a number of other emaciated individuals, including one who had been buried alive for three days and was later taken to a hospital for treatment. Local authorities began requesting assistance from other jurisdictions to help with efforts at the commune. Authorities believed that an unknown number of missing people were still hiding in the forest on the commune and evading authorities while continuing to [[Fasting|fast]]. Authorities reported that members of the commune were actively trying to hinder their efforts to find survivors.<ref name="citizendigital">{{cite web|url=https://www.citizen.digital/news/malindi-cult-shock-as-12-more-graves-discovered-number-rises-to-27-n318390|title=Malindi Cult: Shock As 12 More Graves Discovered, Number Rises To 27|author=Achieng, Serfine|date=20 April 2023|access-date=20 April 2023|archive-date=20 April 2023|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230420204602/https://www.citizen.digital/news/malindi-cult-shock-as-12-more-graves-discovered-number-rises-to-27-n318390|url-status=live}}</ref><ref name="AJ201"/><ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.mirror.co.uk/news/world-news/four-cult-members-starve-death-29715831|title=Four cult members starve to death in Kenyan forest after 'fasting to meet Jesus'|author=Fiorillo, Chiara|newspaper=The Mirror|date=14 April 2023|access-date=20 April 2023|archive-date=20 April 2023|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230420204600/https://www.mirror.co.uk/news/world-news/four-cult-members-starve-death-29715831|url-status=live}}</ref><ref name="CBS">{{Cite web |title=Kenya starvation cult death toll hits 90 as morgues fill up: 'Nothing prepares you for shallow mass graves of children' |publisher=CBS News |agency=AFP |date=25 April 2023 |access-date= |url=https://www.cbsnews.com/news/kenya-starvation-cult-death-toll-rises-child-graves-shakahola-forest-massacre/ |archive-date=26 April 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230426035813/https://www.cbsnews.com/news/kenya-starvation-cult-death-toll-rises-child-graves-shakahola-forest-massacre/ |url-status=live }}</ref>

According to testimonies to police, Mackenzie told his followers "the fast would count only if they gathered together, and offered them his farm as a fasting venue. They were not to mingle with anyone from the 'outside' world if they wanted to go to heaven and were to destroy all documents given by the government, including national IDs and birth certificates."<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2023/4/25/why-did-73-kenya-cult-members-starve-to-death|title=Why did 73 Kenyan cult members starve to death?|accessdate=25 April 2023|date=25 April 2023|publisher=Al Jazeera|author=Akello, Immaculate|archive-date=25 April 2023|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230425120240/https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2023/4/25/why-did-73-kenya-cult-members-starve-to-death|url-status=live}}</ref> On 26 May, [[Interior minister|Interior Cabinet Secretary]] [[Kithure Kindiki]] said that Mackenzie hired criminals armed with crude weapons to kill followers who changed their minds about fasting and wanted out, as well as those who took too long to die.<ref>[https://www.standardmedia.co.ke/article/2001473797/kindiki-makenzi-hired-armed-gangs-to-kill-followers-who-took-too-long-to-die Kindiki: Makenzi hired armed gangs to kill followers who backed out of starving plan or took too long to die]</ref>

133 deaths were reported as of 10 May 2023,<ref>{{Cite news |date=2023-05-09 |title=More bodies found in search for Kenyan forest death cult followers |language=en |work=Reuters |url=https://www.reuters.com/world/africa/kenyan-forest-death-cult-bodies-are-victims-highly-organised-crime-2023-05-09/ |access-date=2023-05-10}}</ref> including eight who were rescued but later died.<ref name="ABC" /> The majority of deaths were of children, with women being the next largest group, according to Kindiki.<ref name="reutersapril28">{{Cite news |last=Mersie |first=Ayenat |date=28 April 2023 |title=Children account for majority of Kenyan cult deaths, interior minister says |language=en |work=[[Reuters]] |url=https://www.reuters.com/world/africa/children-account-majority-kenyan-cult-deaths-interior-minister-2023-04-28/ |url-status=live |access-date=29 April 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230429003459/https://www.reuters.com/world/africa/children-account-majority-kenyan-cult-deaths-interior-minister-2023-04-28/ |archive-date=29 April 2023}}</ref> He additionally stated that not all deaths were by starvation, saying that "there were other methods used, including hurting them, just by physical and preliminary observations."<ref name="reutersapril28" /> Autopsies conducted on more than 100 bodies showed that the victims died of starvation, strangulation, suffocation and blunt trauma.<ref name="CBS2" /> The [[Kenyan Red Cross]] reported on 30 April that 410 individuals, including 227 minors, were missing.<ref>{{Cite news |last=Kimeu |first=Caroline |date=2023-04-30 |title='We tried to stop her': Kenyan teenager tells how cult starved his mother |language=en-GB |work=The Guardian |url=https://www.theguardian.com/world/2023/apr/30/we-tried-to-stop-her-kenyan-teenager-tells-how-cult-starved-his-mother |url-status=live |access-date=2023-05-03 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230501203251/https://www.theguardian.com/world/2023/apr/30/we-tried-to-stop-her-kenyan-teenager-tells-how-cult-starved-his-mother |archive-date=2023-05-01 |issn=0261-3077}}</ref><ref>{{Cite news |last=Wangira |first=Dorcas |date=2023-05-01 |title=Kenya starvation cult: 'My wife and six children followed Pastor Mackenzie' |language=en-GB |work=BBC News |url=https://www.bbc.com/news/world-africa-65423645 |url-status=live |access-date=2023-05-03 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230502191946/https://www.bbc.com/news/world-africa-65423645 |archive-date=2023-05-02}}</ref> As of 2 August, the total number of reported deaths was 427,<ref>{{cite web | url=https://www.standardmedia.co.ke/coast/article/2001478552/two-unborn-babies-raise-shakahola-deaths-to-427 | title=Two unborn babies raise Shakahola deaths to 427 }}</ref> and the number of those reported missing was at least 613. As of 15 June, 95 had been rescued.<ref name="More Than 300 Dead">[https://time.com/6287440/kenya-shakahola-mackenzie-death-cult/ More Than 300 Dead After Kenyan Doomsday Cult Leader Asked Followers to Starve to 'Meet Jesus.' Here's What We Know]</ref><ref>[https://nation.africa/kenya/news/shakahola-cult-613-people-reported-to-be-missing-4245540 Shakahola cult: 613 people reported to be missing]</ref><ref>[https://www.the-star.co.ke/news/2023-05-16-shakahola-horror-3-people-rescued-10-more-bodies-exhumed/ Shakahola horror: 3 people rescued, 10 more bodies exhumed]</ref><ref name="DailyNationMay12">{{Cite web |date=2023-05-12 |title=Shakahola cult: Record number of bodies exhumed, total now 179 |url=https://nation.africa/kenya/counties/kilifi/shakahola-cult-record-number-of-bodies-exhumed-total-now-179-4232522 |access-date=2023-05-12 |website=Nation |language=en}}</ref> On 25 May, local news outlet K24TV noted that "The exact number of people who perished in the massacre might never be known following reports that there are instances where bodies were plunged in random deep pit latrines scattered in the expansive Chakama ranch where cult leader Paul Mackenzie led an unknown number of his followers."<ref>[https://www.k24tv.co.ke/news/kindiki-to-oversee-postmortem-of-129-bodies-103903/ Shakahola tragedy: Kindiki to oversee postmortem of 129 bodies]</ref> On September 18 ''The Nation'' reported that a total of 429 bodies had been exhumed from Shakahola Forest, and that "The latest data indicates that 214 died from starvation, 39 from asphyxia, 14 from head injury, while 115 remain unascertained, and others from other causes."<ref>{{cite web | url=https://nation.africa/kenya/counties/mombasa/shakahola-cult-state-seeks-to-detain-mackenzie-29-others-for-180-more-days-4372816 | title=Shakahola cult: State seeks to detain Mackenzie, 29 others for 180 more days | date=18 September 2023 }}</ref> On 28 September ''The Standard'' reported that "A multi-agency team…has exhumed more than 450 bodies suspected to be followers of Pastor Paul Makenzi’s church."<ref>{{cite web | url=https://www.standardmedia.co.ke/coast/article/2001482463/ps-omollo-shakahola-operation-to-end-soon | title=PS Omollo: Shakahola operation to end soon }}</ref>

On 24 April, search teams had to stop digging for bodies until autopsies were completed on the first 90 bodies that were found because the Malindi Sub-County Hospital's morgue was running out of space to store the bodies.<ref name="CBS" /> On 28 April, it was reported that heavy rain was slowing rescue and recovery efforts.<ref name="StandardApril28">{{Cite web |last=Kithi |first=Marion |date=April 28, 2023 |title=360 people reported missing as heavy rains disrupt Shakahola operation |url=https://www.standardmedia.co.ke/national/article/2001471908/360-people-reported-missing-as-heavy-rains-disrupt-operation |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230428205422/https://www.standardmedia.co.ke/national/article/2001471908/360-people-reported-missing-as-heavy-rains-disrupt-operation |archive-date=28 April 2023 |access-date=April 30, 2023 |website=The Standard |language=en}}</ref> "Mackenzie brainwashed his converts using [[William M. Branham|William Branham]]'s End of Days Theology, and convinced them that starvation could hasten their escape from this life to be with Jesus," detectives from the homicide unit said.<ref name = "pd">{{cite web|url=https://www.pd.co.ke/news/mackenzie-cult-leader-who-led-legions-to-death-178492/|title=Mackenzie: Cult leader who led legions to death|author=Njoka, Sophia|publisher=Peoples Daily|date=27 April 2023|accessdate=28 April 2023|archive-date=25 April 2023|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230425063218/https://www.pd.co.ke/news/mackenzie-cult-leader-who-led-legions-to-death-178492/|url-status=live}}</ref>

Mackenzie, his third wife Rhoda Mumbua Maweu and 16 other members of his church were arrested by authorities and were being held in police custody as of 7 May 2023.<ref>{{Cite web |date=2023-05-05 |title=Shakahola cult: Paul Mackenzie, his wife and 16 followers held 5 more days |url=https://nation.africa/kenya/news/shakahola-cult-paul-mackenzie-his-wife-and-16-followers-held-5-more-days-4224356 |access-date=2023-05-07 |website=Nation |language=en}}</ref> Mackenzie was denied bail on 10 May. As of 14 June, the total number of those arrested was 36. They have been charged with murder and terrorism-related offenses.<ref name="Nation318">[https://nation.africa/kenya/news/shakahola-death-toll-hits-318-as-15-more-bodies-exhumed-4270206 Shakahola death toll hits 318 as 15 more bodies exhumed]</ref><ref name="More Than 300 Dead"/><ref name="AJ201"/><ref name="CBS2">[https://www.cbsnews.com/news/kenya-cult-death-toll-rises-to-200-with-more-than-600-reported-missing/ Kenya cult death toll rises to 200; more than 600 reported missing], CBS News</ref><ref>[https://www.the-star.co.ke/news/realtime/2023-05-13-shakahola-cult-22-more-bodies-exhumed-exercise-suspended-for-2-days/ Shakahola cult: 22 more bodies exhumed, exercise suspended for 2 days]</ref>

Police authorities claimed that some of the bodies were missing organs, which "raised suspicions of forced harvesting".<ref name = "organs">{{cite web|url=https://www.thecitizen.co.tz/tanzania/news/east-africa-news/-some-of-the-shakahola-cult-victims-had-their-organs-missing--4228052|title=Some of the Shakahola cult victims had their organs missing|author=Nation. Africa|publisher=The Citizen|date=May 9, 2023|accessdate=2023-05-09}}</ref><ref name="GuardianMay9">{{Cite news |date=2023-05-09 |title=Autopsies reveal missing organs in Kenya cult deaths, say police |language=en-GB |work=[[The Guardian]] |url=https://www.theguardian.com/world/2023/may/09/autopsies-missing-organs-kenya-cult-deaths-police |access-date=2023-05-09 |issn=0261-3077}}</ref><ref>{{Cite news |agency=Agence France-Presse |date=2023-05-09 |title=Autopsies reveal missing organs in Kenya cult deaths, say police |language=en-GB |work=The Guardian |url=https://www.theguardian.com/world/2023/may/09/autopsies-missing-organs-kenya-cult-deaths-police |access-date=2023-05-09 |issn=0261-3077}}</ref> However, on 10 May, Kindiki refuted these assertions as "politicization of the probe into the massacre," and advised the public to "treat it [allegedly missing body parts] as rumours. People who have facts are those on the ground not those in offices."<ref>{{Cite web |last=Kithi |first=Marion |title=Kindiki dismisses police report on Shakahola body organs trade |url=https://www.standardmedia.co.ke/national/article/2001472617/kindiki-dismisses-police-report-on-shakahola-body-organs-trade |access-date=2023-05-12 |website=The Standard |language=en}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |title=Shakahola Victims Have All Body Organs |url=https://www.tuko.co.ke/kenya/counties/505367-kithure-kindiki-differs-dci-shakahola-victims-body-organs/ |website=Tuko|date=10 May 2023 }}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |date=9 May 2023 |title=Keep off Shakahola forest, CS Kindiki bans politicians |url=https://www.standardmedia.co.ke/coast/article/2001472477/keep-off-shakahola-forest-cs-kindiki-bans-politicians |access-date=23 May 2023 |website=The Standard}}</ref> As of 8 May 2023, autopsies performed on 112 of the exhumed bodies ruled out the possibility of organ harvesting.<ref name="africanews.com">{{cite web |title=Autopsies rule out organ harvesting in Kenya cult deaths |url=https://www.africanews.com/2023/05/08/autopsies-rule-out-organ-harvesting-in-kenya-cult-deaths/ |website=Africa News |date=8 May 2023 |access-date=8 May 2023}}</ref>

===Criminal proceedings===
On 12 June 2023, 65 victims were arraigned for attempted suicide. In Kenya, suicide is a misdemeanor, and is punishable by up to two years in prison. Roseline Odede, chairperson of the [[Kenya National Commission on Human Rights]], criticized the attempted suicide charges, saying that "Charging the survivors with attempted suicide is inappropriate and will re-traumatize the survivors at a time when they most desperately require empathy, intense psycho-social assistance, rehabilitation, and community support." According to the Citizen Digital news service, "The prosecution made an application to have them remanded in prison because the rescue centre can no longer hold them. They are also set to undergo a mental and medical assessment and be forced to eat in prison."<ref name="More Than 300 Dead"/><ref>[https://www.the-star.co.ke/news/realtime/2023-06-12-65-shakahola-victims-arraigned-for-attempted-suicide/ 65 Shakahola victims arraigned for attempted suicide]</ref><ref>[https://www.citizen.digital/news/shakahola-cult-65-survivors-charged-with-attempted-suicide-n321493 Shakahola Cult: 65 Survivors Charged With Attempted Suicide]</ref>

On 3 July 2023, the Shanzu Magistrate Court released Mackenzie's wife, Rhoda Maweu, on a personal bond of KSH 100,000 (US$711) with a [[surety]] bond of KSH 300,000 (US$2,131). In his ruling, Shanzu Senior Principal Magistrate Yusuf Shikanda said the state had failed to prove why Maweu should continue being held with the other accused persons. Rhoda Maweu had been in custody for 62 days.<ref>{{cite web |work= The Star Newspaper |title=Mackenzie's wife granted sh 400000 bond in Shakahola deaths case |url=https://www.the-star.co.ke/news/2023-07-03-mackenzis-wife-granted-sh400000-bond-in-shakahola-deaths-case/ |language= en}}</ref> The court also ruled Mackenzie and the 16 co-accused to remain in custody for another 30 days.<ref>{{cite web |work= BBC |title= Cult leaders wife freed on bail in Kenya |url=https://www.bbc.com/news/world |language= en}}</ref>

In January 2024, the court granted another fourteen days of detention for Mackenzie and several alleged accomplices, but warned that if he had not been charged by that time he could be released. Magistrate Shikanda noted that Mackenzie had been in custody for 117 days, one of the longest detentions without charge in Kenyan history.<ref>{{cite news|url=https://citizen.digital/news/court-gives-govt-14-days-to-prosecute-paul-mackenzie-or-he-be-released-n334485|title=Court Gives Gov't 14 Days To Prosecute Paul Mackenzie Or He Be Released|website=The Citizen|date=9 January 2024|first=Martin|last=Munene}}</ref> On 17 January, Mackenzie and thirty others were charged with the murders of 191 children who were among the deceased.<ref>{{cite news|url=https://apnews.com/article/kenya-doomsday-cult-pastor-charges-54a384a5aa4842490b7ffec5139d73e8|newspaper=The Associated Press|title=Kenya doomsday cult leader, 30 others face charges of murdering 191 children. More charges to follow|date=18 January 2024|last=Odula|first=Tom}}</ref> They appeared at the [[High Court (Kenya)|High Court]] for arraignment but did not enter pleas. Judge Magure Thanda ordered that all of the defendants should undergo psychological evaluations by February 6 before they could plead.<ref>{{cite news|url=https://news.sky.com/story/doomsday-cult-leader-paul-mackenzie-appears-in-kenyan-court-charged-with-murdering-191-children-13050799|title=Doomsday cult leader Paul Mackenzie appears in Kenyan court charged with murdering 191 children|newspaper=Sky News|date=18 January 2024|last=Gillespie|first=Tom}}</ref> Mackenzie was ruled fit for trial and pleaded not guilty.<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.cbsnews.com/news/kenya-cult-starvation-pastor-paul-mackenzie-pleads-not-guilty-191-child-murders/|title=Self-proclaimed pastor accused of leading starvation cult in Kenya pleads not guilty to 191 child murders|newspaper=CBS News|date=6 February 2024|last=Carter|first=Sarah}}</ref>

At a High Court hearing of the case in May 2024 the court ordered the prosecutors to reduce the number of charges from 191 to 12 in order to avoid delays and to protect due process, stating that "the interests of justice will be better served this way".<ref>{{cite news|newspaper=The Nation Africa|date=21 May 2024|url=https://nation.africa/kenya/counties/mombasa/why-court-advised-dpp-to-reduce-murder-charges-against-shakahola-suspects-4630308|title=Why court advised DPP to reduce murder charges against Shakahola suspects|first=Brian|last=Ocharo}}</ref>

===Reactions===
[[List of heads of state of Kenya|Kenyan President]] [[William Ruto]] said Mackenzie's beliefs were contrary to authentic religion.<ref name = "reutersapril24">{{cite web|url=https://www.reuters.com/world/africa/death-toll-kenyan-starvation-cult-rises-58-police-2023-04-24/|publisher=Reuters|accessdate=24 April 2023|date=24 April 2023|author=Holland, Hereward|title=Death toll in Kenyan starvation cult rises to 73 – police|archive-date=24 April 2023|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230424164244/https://www.reuters.com/world/africa/death-toll-kenyan-starvation-cult-rises-58-police-2023-04-24/|url-status=live}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |date=24 April 2023 |title=Ruto speaks on Shakahola cult: 'Paul Mackenzie belongs in jail' |url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fdhptC3XbbM |access-date=28 April 2023 |website=Nation |archive-date=28 April 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230428083548/https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fdhptC3XbbM |url-status=live }}</ref> Ruto also said "Mr Mackenzie, who acts as a pastor, is in fact a terrible criminal. Terrorists use religion to advance their heinous acts. People like Mackenzie are using religion to do exactly the same thing," the Head of State said, adding that the cult leader and others like him should be in jail.<ref>{{Cite web |date=2023-04-24 |title=Ruto speaks on Shakahola cult: 'Paul Mackenzie belongs in jail' |url=https://nation.africa/kenya/news/politics/ruto-speaks-shakahola-cult-paul-mackenzie-belongs-in-jail-4210598 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230718180328/https://nation.africa/kenya/news/politics/ruto-speaks-shakahola-cult-paul-mackenzie-belongs-in-jail-4210598 |archive-date=2023-07-18 |access-date=2023-07-18 |website=Nation |language=en}}</ref> He appointed a commission of inquiry into the deaths and created a task force to review the regulations governing religious organizations.<ref name="AJ201"/>

Interior Cabinet Secretary Kithure Kindiki said, "This horrendous blight on our conscience must lead not only to the most severe punishment of the perpetrator(s) of the atrocity on so many innocent souls, but tighter regulation (including self-regulation) of every church, mosque, temple or synagogue going forward."<ref name="hindustan"/>

==Second suspected Malindi cult==
A second pastor, also based in Malindi, was arrested a few days after the Mackenzie starvation incident occurred. Authorities said [[Ezekiel Odero]], pastor of New Life Prayer Centre and Church in [[Mavueni]], Kilifi County, would soon face criminal charges relating to the mass killing of his own followers.<ref name="odero" /> Several deaths were recorded at his church between 2022 and 2023, and some theorized that those bodies were moved to Shakahola Forest.<ref name=cbs>{{Cite web |last=Mersie |first=Ayenat |date=April 28, 2023 |title=More than 100 died at a religious cult in Kenya. The majority are children, says minister |url=https://www.cbc.ca/news/world/kenya-cult-deaths-children-1.6826023 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230429030641/https://www.cbc.ca/news/world/kenya-cult-deaths-children-1.6826023 |archive-date=29 April 2023 |access-date=April 30, 2023 |website=[[CBC News]] }}</ref> Over 103 followers were evacuated from the church premises and will be expected to give statements. As of 27 April 2023 police had not yet confirmed whether the two groups are linked.<ref name=odero>{{cite news |url=https://www.theguardian.com/world/2023/apr/27/second-kenyan-pastor-accused-of-mass-killing-of-followers |title=Second Kenyan pastor accused of mass killing of followers |newspaper=The Guardian |date=27 April 2023 |agency=Agence France-Presse |access-date=27 April 2023 |archive-date=27 April 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230427193711/https://www.theguardian.com/world/2023/apr/27/second-kenyan-pastor-accused-of-mass-killing-of-followers |url-status=live }}</ref>

== Further exhumations ==
In July 2025, further exhumations were ordered in the area where bodies had previously been discovered. Kenyan authorities say that 11 suspects have been identified in the investigation.<ref>{{Cite web |date=2025-07-30 |title=Doomsday cult: Exhumations ordered after hundreds of members were found dead |url=https://www.ctvnews.ca/world/article/kenyan-court-orders-exhumations-in-suspected-doomsday-cult-related-deaths/ |access-date=2025-07-30 |website=CTVNews |language=en}}</ref>

== Church deregistration ==
As of 19 May 2023 the [[Registrar of Societies in Kenya]] had de-registered Good News International Ministries as part of government's crackdown on unscrupulous churches.<ref>{{Cite web |date=2023-08-18 |title=Kenya bans churches linked to cult deaths |url=https://www.thecitizen.co.tz/tanzania/news/east-africa-news/kenya-bans-churches-linked-to-cult-deaths-4339778 |access-date=2023-09-04 |website=The Citizen |language=en}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |date=2023-08-19 |title=State deregisters Mackenzie, Pastor Ezekiel's churches |url=https://nation.africa/kenya/news/state-deregisters-mackenzie-pastor-ezekiel-s-churches-4339538 |access-date=2023-09-04 |website=Nation |language=en}}</ref>

==See also==
*  [[Rancho Santa Fe, California]], site of the 1997 mass suicide by followers of the [[Heaven's Gate (religious group)|Heaven's Gate]] religious group led by [[Bonnie Nettles]] and [[Marshall Applewhite]]
* [[Jonestown]], Guyana, site of the 1978 mass murder-suicide by followers of the US-based [[Peoples Temple]] cult led by [[Jim Jones]]
* [[Movement for the Restoration of the Ten Commandments of God]], an apocalyptic pseudo-Catholic sect in southwest Uganda
* [[Nongqawuse]], a South African prophetess whose teachings led to the Xhosa cattle-killing movement and famine (1854–1858)

==References==
{{Reflist}}

==External links==
* [https://william-branham.org/site/research/people/paul_mackenzie William Branham Historical Research]
* [https://biblicalstudies.org.uk/pdf/ajet/07-2_001.pdf?fbclid=IwAR0yArB_5JcAaIfHU7nBld1JDBDSbz4y3i_5XeGHoPyZBRRQRkrrXEfnl98 "Branhamites," by A. Scott Moreau in ''East Africa Journal of Evangelical Theology'']

{{The Message of William Branham}}

[[Category:2003 establishments in Kenya]]
[[Category:2023 suicides]]
[[Category:2023 deaths]]
[[Category:2023 in Kenya]]
[[Category:March 2023 in Africa]]
[[Category:April 2023 in Africa]]
[[Category:Anti-American sentiment in Africa]]
[[Category:Anti-British sentiment]]
[[Category:Anti-Catholic organizations]]
[[Category:Anti-Islam sentiment in Africa]]
[[Category:Anti-Western sentiment]]
[[Category:Apocalyptic groups]]
[[Category:Branhamism]]
[[Category:African initiated churches]]
[[Category:Christian denominations in Kenya]]
[[Category:Eschatology]]
[[Category:Mass suicides]]
[[Category:Murder–suicides in Africa]]
[[Category:Religious organizations established in 2003]]
[[Category:Suicides in Kenya]]