A Kenyan court on Monday convicted self-proclaimed pastor Paul Mackenzie and about 30 associates of murdering 190 children and one adult through enforced starvation in what authorities described as a doomsday cult.

The Mombasa High Court delivered the verdict after an eight-hour hearing in the case involving the Good News International Church. Justice Diana Kavedza ruled that the deaths resulted from an organized system of religious teachings and hierarchy that directed and enforced deadly fasting among followers.

Prosecutors established that Mackenzie instructed followers to starve themselves and their children to reach heaven before the world ended. The court rejected Mackenzie's claim that no one was forced to fast. Children were isolated and denied food while parents watched, according to evidence presented.

Mackenzie, arrested in 2023, faced charges over deaths that occurred between 2021 and 2023 at his settlement in Shakahola Forest near Kenya's coast. Authorities have recovered more than 400 bodies from shallow graves there since excavations began, though only 26 could be identified due to decomposition.

Monday's judgment addressed 191 specific deaths, with investigations continuing into additional cases. Over 429 bodies have been exhumed in total from the 800-acre site.

The convicted individuals include Mackenzie, his deputy, and other church leaders. Two accused died during the trial, and charges against them were withdrawn. Sentencing is scheduled for November 6.

Families of victims attended the proceedings. The case has highlighted the scale of the tragedy, with reports of children as young as a few weeks old among the dead. Some victims showed signs of beatings or other trauma in addition to starvation.

Mackenzie had previously been arrested but released before the full extent of the deaths emerged. The cult operated for years, promoting beliefs against education and modern medicine.

The verdict marks a significant development in one of Kenya's largest mass casualty investigations linked to religious extremism.