Overview

• Kenyan doomsday cult leader Paul Mackenzie has been sentenced to 18 months in prison for illegal distribution of films and operating a film studio without licenses.
• Mackenzie was found guilty last month of these charges dating back to 2019, but he pleaded not guilty, claiming he was unaware of the need for a license.
• Mackenzie has been in police custody since April, following the discovery of over 400 bodies in mass graves on his church property.
• Prosecutors allege Mackenzie ordered hundreds of his congregants to starve themselves to death in order to meet Jesus, but he has not been formally charged in the deaths.
• Fresh graves were discovered in November at his 800-acre property, and many of Mackenzie’s followers are still reported missing.