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
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. Over the following three weeks, police searched the 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
fast. Authorities reported that members of the commune were actively trying to hinder their efforts to find survivors. 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." On 26 May,
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. 133 deaths were reported as of 10 May 2023, including eight who were rescued but later died. 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." As of 2 August, the total number of reported deaths was 427, and the number of those reported missing was at least 613. As of 15 June, 95 had been rescued. 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." 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." 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." 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. "Mackenzie brainwashed his converts using
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. 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. 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. Police authorities claimed that some of the bodies were missing organs, which "raised suspicions of forced harvesting". 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." As of 8 May 2023, autopsies performed on 112 of the exhumed bodies ruled out the possibility of organ harvesting.
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." 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. The court also ruled Mackenzie and the 16 co-accused to remain in custody for another 30 days. 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. On 17 January, Mackenzie and thirty others were charged with the murders of 191 children who were among the deceased. They appeared at the
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. Mackenzie was ruled fit for trial and pleaded not guilty. 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".
Reactions Kenyan President William Ruto said Mackenzie's beliefs were contrary to authentic religion. 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. He appointed a commission of inquiry into the deaths and created a task force to review the regulations governing religious organizations. 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." ==Second suspected Malindi cult==