CultNEWS101 Articles: 8/28/2025

Good News International Church, Kenya, Legal, Jewish Agricultural Traditions, Colman Domingo

WFMZ: 5 bodies are exhumed from shallow graves in Kenya near a doomsday cult site

"Five bodies were exhumed from shallow graves in coastal Kenya, at a site near where more than 400 bodies of followers of a doomsday cult were recovered two years ago.

Government pathologist Dr. Richard Njoroge on Thursday said 10 human body parts were also recovered, scattered in nearby thickets at Kwa Binzaro area in Kilifi County, about 2 kilometers (1.5 miles) from the site of the Shakahola cult, and that the exhumation would continue on Friday.

The exhumation exercise, led by homicide detectives, forensic experts, and pathologists, also uncovered 27 suspected mass graves, raising fears that more bodies could be buried in the area as investigations into the cause of death begin."

Inform: Talia Chain, Sadeh Farm – Rooted in the Land: Jewish Agricultural Traditions for Sustainable Future

"As the UK's Jewish community farm, Sadeh integrates ecological practice with Jewish teaching drawing on texts and rituals to guide sustainable growing, seasonal eating, and ethical land use. Through farming, volunteering, and environmental education, Sadeh empowers people to reconnect with the land and their heritage while building a more just and sustainable future.

Talia Chain is the founder of Sadeh, the UK's Jewish community farm. Talia's role includes growing food, running education and volunteer sessions and fundraising for Sadeh's projects. Her passion is in exploring Judaism's deep agricultural roots both practically on the land and in Jewish text.

Presented at King's College London, 30th May 2025."

The Root: Colman Domingo Tells This Bone-Chilling Story About His Encounter With a Cult in Mexico

" ... Domingo sat down with Josh Scherer on an episode of "Mythical Kitchen" which came out Tuesday (August 19). While sharing a meal, the pair were discussing how some celebrities seem to live secluded lives, almost "cult-like," after finding success in Hollywood. Scherer asked Domingo in jest, "You haven't joined a cult yet now that you moved to Malibu?"

That's when the "Euphoria" star admitted: "I almost joined a cult in Mexico City, but that's another story."

He went on to explain exactly what almost went down. "It was just a group of nice people, and then I was like, 'Wait a minute. This is weird,'" he said. "I was like, 'What's up with you guys?' This is my first encounter, but as I did research and found out more about them, I'm like, 'Oh, that's a cult.'"

After Scherer joked that they still "should join" the cult, Domingo referenced the podcast itself, asking: "Is this a cult? It might be."

Historically, Black people have been both victims and leaders of cults. Groups like the multiracial organization Peoples Temple (led by Jim Jones, a white man, with a 80% – 90% Black membership by the 1970s) and the Black Hebrew Israelite group Nation of Yahweh (founded in the late 1970s by Hulon Mitchell Jr., who called himself Yahweh ben Yahweh, was classified as a Black supremacist cult by the Southern Poverty Law Center), offered an escape from poverty and racism.

Some cults, especially those with Black leaders, gave members a sense of power and control over their lives in a world that often made them feel powerless. We're glad Domingo didn't join one so we can enjoy his talent on the silver screen, especially his highly-anticipated portrayal of Joe Jackson in Michael Jackson's biopic in 2026."

Anti-Vaccination Collection

Fresh fears of cult activity emerge in Kilifi, nearly two years after Shakahola Massacre

Emily Chebet

Digital Citizen 

July 20, 2025

Fresh fears of cult activity emerge in Kilifi, nearly two years after Shakahola Massacre

Nearly two years after the gruesome discovery of mass graves in Shakahola Forest shocked the nation and the world, chilling new developments out of Kilifi County are stoking fears that the horrors of 2023 may not be behind us.

Authorities have recovered one body and rescued four severely emaciated individuals just kilometres from the original Shakahola site—raising alarming questions about the possible resurgence of cult-like activity in the region.

Even more disturbing is the revelation that among those arrested is a husband and wife, former victims of the Shakahola cult, who had previously been rescued during the 2023 operation but disappeared again earlier this year.

The couple, originally from Nyadorera in Siaya County, allegedly fled their home in March with six children—aged between 1 and 15 years—before resurfacing in Kilifi under circumstances now under active investigation.

A brother of the male suspect, whose identity has been concealed for safety, confirmed that the family had once been reintegrated into the community but mysteriously vanished months ago.

“Alitoka huko nyumbani na familia yake wakaenda Shakahola mara ya kwanza… wakati watu walikuwa wanatolewa, tuliweza kuwaokoa wakaenda nyumbani,” he said. “Tulijua atareform akiwa nyumbani… lakini amerudi tena.”

The whereabouts of the six children remain unknown. “Nimewaishi na hao watoto,” the brother added. “Nimefuata kujua wako hali gani lakini sijawaona. Sasa nimeachia serikali ifanye uchunguzi.”

Human rights advocates and local authorities fear the emergence of what they are calling a possible “Shakahola Two.” Rapid Response Officer Mathias Shipeta expressed grave concern, saying one of the couple’s children had been among those held during the initial Shakahola raid and placed in a rescue facility. “As we speak, we are concerned that Shakahola 2 inaweza kuwa imeanza,” Shipeta warned. “We are calling upon the police to investigate the matter and ensure we do not have casualties or deaths as in Shakahola 1.”

Ongoing investigations suggest that remnants of the original Shakahola network may still be active, quietly regrouping and continuing indoctrination efforts despite government crackdowns and nationwide condemnation.

“We have been told that some of those previously charged and detained at Shimo la Tewa are regrouping and conducting teachings to continue radicalizing Kenyans,” Shipeta said.

The victim’s brother echoed the growing alarm: “Naomba serikali hii mambo ya Shakahola ikapate kuisha kabisa… isiendelee tena. Inaonekana bado watu wanaendelea kuregroup huko msituni.”

The original Shakahola tragedy, believed to have been orchestrated by controversial preacher Paul Mackenzie, claimed over 400 lives and triggered widespread calls for reform of religious and cult-related laws in Kenya.

https://www.citizen.digital/news/fresh-fears-of-cult-activity-emerge-in-kilifi-nearly-two-years-after-shakahola-massacre-n366650

'Let The Children Die First': African Cult Leader 'Convinced' Over 400 People To Starve Themselves To Death For End Of The World

Paul Mackenzie, the cult's leader, is now facing charges for manslaughter, child abuse and terrorism.

Andrea Tode Jimene

IBT

October 18, 2024

A horrifying chapter in Kenya's history was uncovered when authorities raided the Good News International Ministries (GNIM), led by self-proclaimed pastor Paul Nthenge Mackenzie. Mackenzie convinced over 400 people, including children, to starve themselves to death in preparation for what he described as the 'end of the world'. The discovery of mass graves shocked the nation, leaving survivors and the families of the deceased haunted by the tragedy.

The Discovery of the Cult and Mass Graves

In March 2023, Kenyan authorities began investigating after a man reported that his wife and daughter had joined Mackenzie's doomsday cult in the Shakahola Forest and never returned. This triggered a police raid, during which they discovered emaciated survivors and hundreds of bodies buried in shallow graves. As of October 2024, a total of 436 bodies had been recovered from Mackenzie's 800-acre commune in one of the deadliest cult-related massacres ever recorded.

The first group of survivors—15 in total—was rescued, but four tragically died before reaching medical facilities. Those who survived revealed that Mackenzie had instructed his followers to fast to death as a path to salvation. According to News.com.au, Mackenzie's instructions were strict: he claimed that fasting until death was the only way to meet Jesus, and members were forced to adhere to this horrific practice.

The Rise of Paul Mackenzie

Paul Mackenzie

Paul Mackenzie's rise to power began in the late 1990s when he worked as a taxi driver in Nairobi. With only a high school education, he soon became an apprentice to a preacher in Malindi before founding his own church in 2003. Over time, Mackenzie garnered a following through his charismatic personality, alleged miracles, and extreme religious teachings. His influence stretched across Kenya, attracting laypeople, teachers, police officers, and individuals from various backgrounds.

Mackenzie first drew national attention when he condemned formal education and vaccinations, which he called ungodly. His teachings soon placed him on the government's radar. In 2017, he was arrested after law enforcement rescued 93 children from his church, but he continued to gain followers. He eventually relocated to the secluded Shakahola Forest in 2019, where he leased 800 acres of land.

In Shakahola, Mackenzie set up a mini-state, with members paying small fees to acquire plots of land where they built houses in villages named after biblical locations like Judea and Nazareth. As Mackenzie's influence grew, his demands became more extreme, isolating his followers and cutting off communication between villages.

The Tragic Toll of Mackenzie's Teachings

The human cost of Mackenzie's deadly ideology is staggering. By October 2024, the death toll had risen to 448, with 72 individuals rescued but in critical condition and another 613 people still missing, according to the Kenya Red Cross. Mackenzie's teachings were particularly fatal for children, with many instructed to fast alongside their parents.

Autopsies on the bodies discovered in shallow graves showed a combination of starvation, strangulation, and blunt-force trauma. According to News.com.au, some victims were also suffocated. Survivors described how Mackenzie employed enforcers who patrolled the villages, ensuring no one broke their fast or attempted to escape. Those who tried were either beaten or simply disappeared.

Mackenzie's bodyguards also routinely assaulted women within the commune. One survivor, who managed to flee while pregnant, recounted being raped by four men as part of the cult's abusive practices. Women who resisted or showed signs of defiance faced extreme punishment, while children were forbidden from eating under Mackenzie's orders.

A Cult Fuelled by Isolation and Fear

The COVID-19 pandemic only intensified Mackenzie's apocalyptic warnings. Former members of GNIM reported that Mackenzie used the global crisis to isolate his followers further and convince them that the end of the world was near. His radical teachings gained more traction, with some followers believing that refusing food and medicine was a necessary sacrifice to escape the impending apocalypse.

Mackenzie himself lived in relative comfort during this period. Authorities discovered that while his followers starved, his residence, known as "ikulu" or statehouse, was stocked with food, including milk and bread. This stark contrast between his living conditions and those of his starving followers further illustrated the extent of his control and manipulation.

Legal Proceedings and Charges Against Mackenzie

Mackenzie's list of charges is extensive and severe. In December 2022, he was sentenced to 12 months for creating and distributing films without a licence. However, his more recent charges are much more severe, including murder, child torture, and terrorism. Kenyan authorities have classified GNIM as an organised criminal group, with Mackenzie facing life imprisonment if convicted.

Mackenzie and 29 of his associates are being charged with the deaths of 191 children and numerous counts of manslaughter. Despite overwhelming evidence, Mackenzie has pleaded not guilty to all charges. Trials for child abuse and terrorism are ongoing.

The Survivors' Accounts

Survivors of Mackenzie's cult are still coming to terms with the trauma they endured. Many recall the absolute control Mackenzie held over their lives. One former member, who fled after witnessing the starvation deaths of two children, described Mackenzie as a mysterious figure who exuded unwavering confidence in his actions. "He feels like he did nothing wrong," she said, highlighting the cult leader's disturbing lack of remorse.

Another survivor, Salama Masha, said she realised the actual danger of Mackenzie's teachings when he ordered the children to fast. After escaping the cult, Masha bravely spoke out about the abuse and manipulation she had witnessed. Like many survivors, she remains haunted by the deaths of those left behind.

https://www.ibtimes.co.uk/let-children-die-first-african-cult-leader-convinced-over-400-people-starve-themselves-1727707

Kenyan suspect in religious cult deaths dies in custody after hunger strike

Reuters

June 21, 2023

A Kenyan accused of involvement in the deaths of hundreds of members of a starvation cult has died after a 10-day hunger strike in police custody, a prosecutor said on Wednesday.

Joseph Buyuka was among 30 people, including self-styled pastor Paul Mackenzie of Good News International Church, in custody over the deaths of 337 followers of the church.

"The police believe that these individuals... played significant roles in the offences leading to the deaths and illegal disposal of bodies in Shakahola (forest)," court papers said of Buyuka and four others arrested with him.

Authorities have exhumed most of the bodies from the forest in southeast Kenya since April.

Jami Yamina, senior prosecution counsel, said Buyuka had died two days ago at a hospital in Malindi, about 116 km (72 miles) from the port city of Mombasa where he had been taken from a nearby prison.

"He died ...(due to) ... complications from hunger strike and starvation, but we will await postmortem report," Yamina told a court in Mombasa.

"Two other suspects ... have also been taken ill. Police believe it is related to their hunger strike."

Mackenzie is accused of ordering his followers to starve their children and themselves to death so they could reach heaven before the end of the world.

He handed himself over to police in April and was denied bail last month. The other suspects were arrested later after authorities started the exhumations.

He and the others have not yet been required to enter a plea.

Interior Minister Kithure Kindiki had expressed concern in May that some of Mackenzie's rescued followers were refusing food. One of them had died, he said at the time.

(Writing by George Obulutsa; Editing by Bhargav Acharya and Andrew Cawthorne)

https://ca.movies.yahoo.com/movies/kenyan-suspect-religious-cult-deaths-124836117.html

Kenya beings handing over 429 bodies of doomsday cult victims to families: "They are only skeletons"

CBS/AP

March 26, 2024

The Kenyan government on Tuesday began handing over 429 bodies of members of a doomsday cult at the center of a legal case that has shocked the country.

Exhumed bodies from a vast rural area in coastal Kenya have shown signs of starvation and strangulation. Cult leader Paul Mackenzie is accused of asking his followers to starve themselves to death to meet Jesus and now faces charges that include murder.

One tearful family received four bodies that were loaded into a hearse from a morgue in the Indian Ocean town of Malindi, said an AFP correspondent at the scene.

They are the first bodies to be handed over to their relatives for burial after months of painstaking work to identify them using DNA.

"It is a relief that we finally have the bodies but it is also disheartening that they are only skeletons," William Ponda, 32, told AFP, saying he has lost his mother, brother, sister-in-law and nephew in the tragedy.

"I do not have any hope that we will find the other members of the family."

Authorities are using DNA testing to help identify bodies and their families. On Tuesday, the first bodies were handed over to relatives. Emotions ran high at the Malindi mortuary as families collected loved ones for reburial. Some wailed, overwhelmed.

Mackenzie and dozens of his associates were charged in February with the torture and murder of 191 children. The trial begins April 23. Interior Minister Kithure Kindiki has declared Mackenzie's Good News International Ministries a criminal organized group.

Mackenzie is serving a separate one-year prison sentence after being found guilty of operating a film studio and producing films without a valid license.

Some outraged Kenyans have asked how authorities didn't notice any sign of the mass deaths underway.

The Kenya Human Rights Commission last week said police failed to act on reports that could have prevented the deaths in the remote Shakahola area. Several reports had been filed at police stations by people whose relatives had entered the forested area.

The case emerged last year when police rescued 15 emaciated parishioners from Mackenzie's church in Kilifi county in Kenya's southeast. Four died after the group was taken to a hospital.

Last year, Kenyan President William Ruto compared the starvation deaths to terrorist acts.

"What we are seeing ... is akin to terrorism," Ruto said. "Mr. Makenzi ... pretends and postures as a pastor when in fact he is a terrible criminal."

The case has prompted calls for tighter control of fringe denominations in a country with a troubling history of self-declared pastors and cults that have dabbled in criminality.

In 2022, the body of a British woman who died at the house of a different cult leader while on holiday in Kenya was exhumed, the family's lawyer said. Luftunisa Kwandwalla, 44, was visiting the coastal city of Mombasa when she died in August 2020, and was buried a day later, but her family has claimed foul play.

AFP contributed to this report.

https://www.cbsnews.com/news/kenya-429-bodies-doomsday-cult-victims-families/