Paul Mackenzie is the leader of the Good News International Church. He was arrested after four of his followers died while starving themselves to “meet Jesus” . He faced similar charges last month after two children died under similar circumstances. Mackenzie turned himself in to police and was charged last month.

Good News International Church is a religious group from Malindi, Kenya. The church members believe they will go to heaven if they starve themselves .

The death toll now stands at 47. Religious leaders are now on the scene following the shocking Massacre involving controversial Pastor Paul Mackenzie of the Good News International Church. Kilifi MCAs have threatened to protest if controversial pastor Paul Mackenzie is granted bond.

On Sunday (Apr 23/2023) , detectives discovered one of pastor Paul Mackenzie’s followers who was near death. Pastor Mackenzie’s rescued follower refuses to eat and wishes to die.

Shakahola forest in Kilifi county is where government forensic experts exhumed 18 bodies of Good News International Church congregants. Where this is now being referred to as Shakahola Massacre.

112 people are missing as Shakahola cult probe continues, Red Cross records reports on missing persons at their tracing desk in Malindi. IG Japheth Koome will travel to Shakahola Forest, where 47 bodies have been exhumed from mass graves as the investigation into Pastor Paul Mackenzie’s cult continues.

Religious leaders from various institutions including the Presbyterian Church have condemned the cult, this comes as the investigation into a preacher who advised his followers to starve to death heats up. President Ruto termed Pastor Mackenzie from Shakahola a criminal and a terrorist posturing as a pastor.

Read about Pastor Ezekiel’s Biography here.

Pastor Paul Mackenzie’s Controversial Teachings

The controversial cleric Paul Mackenzie’s teachings have continued to raise eyebrows, with some bordering on outright human rights violations.

Mackenzie’s gospel has left people with open mouths, from discouraging people from seeking healthcare to condemning participation in social activities such as football games.

Some of his church’s congregants’ relatives have shared similar scripts of how their relatives operated after joining the cult-like grouping, where they either burned all their academic credentials or sold all property before allegedly donating the proceeds to Mackenzie’s church.

Since 2017, the controversial cleric has been uploading his teachings to a YouTube channel, speaking to a full congregation that cheers him as he makes pronouncements based on the bible and others drawn from current events.

Mackenzie appears to have mastered the art of instilling fear in his congregations, using snippets from Citizen TV stories to drive his doomsday agenda home.

His doctrine appears to be based on fear mongering, rejecting all forms of modern healthcare, education, and food, and accusing certain groups of using social interaction forums to “separate them from Christ.”

At one point, Mackenzie called the Kenyan constitution satanic and urged his supporters to oppose it.

He cited Article 26(IV) of Kenya’s Constitution, which addresses abortion. According to the article, “abortion is not permitted unless, in the opinion of a trained health professional, there is a need for emergency treatment, or the mother’s life or health is in danger, or unless permitted by any other written law.”

The preacher appeared to imply that the constitution allows abortion, and he told his congregation that the drafters of the law are intent on undermining God’s will in the country. He justified his teachings by showing clips from the Yes and No campaign coverage in 2010.

The controversial cleric stated in another crusade in Malindi that he was willing to go to jail to preach the gospel of Christ.

His comments came after he was widely accused of leading his flock astray with his divisive teachings. The congregation applauded as the pronouncements were made.

In another of his teachings, Mackenzie claimed that the menstrual cycle is the devil’s work, claiming that ‘periods is the devil sucking blood’. In order to break the cycle, he urged his female followers to pray fervently during this time.

He also taught his followers that prayer and fasting, rather than medication, could cure any disease.

Among other things, he prayed for cancer, HIV, headaches, and poverty. As he ‘exorcised’ the demons in his followers, they could throw themselves to the ground.

Religious leaders have strongly condemned Mackenzie’s teachings, including Archbishop Anthony Muheria of the Nyeri Archdiocese, urging Kenyan congregations to develop a critical mind and question some of the teachings of proclaimed religious leaders.

The death toll rose to 73 on Monday (24/4/23), according to police sources, as investigators discovered more corpses in mass graves in a forest near the coast.

The 325-hectare (800-acre) area of woodland has been declared a crime scene, with teams dressed in overalls searching for additional burial sites and possible cult survivors.

Things you need to know about Pastor Mackenzie

• Good News International Church was founded by Mackenzie.
• His wife’s name is Joyce Mwikamba.
• He was a taxi driver before becoming a pastor.
• Mackenzie was driven to Malindi by his sister back in the day.
• He moved his ‘church’ to Shakahola in 2022.
• Between 1997 and 2003, Mackenzie was charged four times for his sermons but was acquitted each time due to a lack of evidence.
• Mackenzie’s suspicious behavior was first noticed by the Mayungu Children Rescue Centre in 2017.
• Around 93 children were rescued from Mackenzie’s church in 2017. He and several church members were detained.
• One of his churches was demolished in Magarini, Kilifi County, by enraged residents in October 2018.
• Mackenzie was arrested in 2019 for inciting public opposition to Huduma Namba registration by comparing it to the Number of the Beast.
• The church claims to be followers of William Branham’s End-Time Message: Throughout his healing revivals, Branham was accused of fraud by investigative news reporters, fellow ministers, host churches, and governmental agencies.