The High Court in Mombasa has declared that Paul Nthenge Mackenzie’s Good News International (GNI) Church exhibited the characteristics of an apocalyptic or doomsday cult, citing evidence of isolation, psychological manipulation, domination, and absolute obedience to the preacher’s teachings.
Delivering judgment on Monday, October 19, 2026, in the murder case against Mackenzie and 30 co-accused, Lady Justice Diana Kavedza-Mochache examined how the church’s religious teachings allegedly shaped the decisions and behaviour of followers who relocated to Shakahola Forest in Kilifi County.
“The court does not therefore hesitate to find that GNI Ministries was a cult as it met all the characteristics of an apocalyptic or doomsday cult,” Justice Kavedza-Mochache said.
The judge said the court relied on witness testimony, theological literature and scholarly writings to assess the church’s structure and the influence its leadership allegedly exercised over members.
She identified absolute leadership, isolation, manipulation and domination, and love bombing as characteristics associated with cults, examining how the practices allegedly manifested within Mackenzie’s religious movement.
The findings form part of the court’s assessment of the circumstances surrounding the deaths of 190 children and one adult who are the subjects of 191 murder charges.
Justice Kavedza-Mochache described cults as groups in which charismatic leaders claim exceptional authority and demand loyalty while extending their influence into members’ personal lives.
Evidence presented in court included accounts of followers abandoning employment, withdrawing children from school and leaving established family lives after embracing Mackenzie’s teachings.
One witness testified that a relative serving as a General Service Unit officer abandoned a seven-year police career before relocating to Shakahola.
Other witnesses described family members quitting their jobs after being taught that conventional employment was ungodly.
The judge examined the evidence to establish how the preacher’s authority allegedly influenced followers’ decisions beyond religious worship.
The court also heard that members were discouraged from interacting with outsiders, while guards were allegedly stationed around the Shakahola settlement to restrict movement.
Some families reportedly sold their homes and possessions before moving to the forest, where they were encouraged to distance themselves from conventional society.
Justice Kavedza-Mochache said such practices reflected an “us versus them” mentality in which followers were encouraged to view outsiders as misguided or dangerous while considering their own group uniquely chosen.
The court considered these accounts alongside evidence of the leadership structure and the degree of control allegedly exercised over members.
The judge also examined the apocalyptic teachings that the prosecution said motivated followers to relocate to Shakahola.
According to evidence presented in court, Mackenzie allegedly instructed followers to fast to death in the belief that they would meet Jesus Christ.
Children were reportedly expected to fast first, followed by young people, women and men.
The court further considered recordings in which Mackenzie allegedly condemned formal education, modern medicine, immunisation and government identification documents, portraying them as incompatible with his religious teachings.
Justice Kavedza-Mochache examined how these messages allegedly translated into practical decisions, including the withdrawal of children from school and the rejection of services available outside the settlement.
The judge also considered whether the followers’ actions were genuinely voluntary or whether their understanding of religious teachings had been shaped by coercive influence.
“The court is mindful that it is not a theological authority and does not purport to determine matters of faith,” she said.
She explained that examining the church’s teachings was necessary to assess the evidence and determine how the alleged influence of those teachings related to the case before the court.
The court’s inquiry was therefore focused on the circumstances surrounding the alleged offences rather than determining the legitimacy of religious beliefs in general.
The case arises from the discovery of mass graves in Shakahola Forest, where hundreds of bodies were recovered during investigations into the activities associated with Mackenzie’s movement.
The discoveries in 2023 triggered national and international outrage and renewed scrutiny of religious organisations, the regulation of places of worship and the protection of vulnerable followers.
Investigators linked the deaths to allegations that followers had been instructed to undertake extreme fasting as part of preparations for the end of the world.
The tragedy also raised questions about how the movement operated, how followers were recruited and whether warning signs of abuse had been detected before the deaths came to light.
The High Court’s findings on the church’s characteristics provide part of the judicial examination of the movement’s internal practices and the alleged influence exerted over its followers.
The murder proceedings against Mackenzie and his co-accused remain the central legal process through which the court is examining individual responsibility for the deaths.
The court’s assessment of the church’s structure and teachings forms part of that process, with the prosecution required to establish the charges against the accused in accordance with the law.