Overview

• Paul Mackenzie, the leader of a Kenyan doomsday cult, has been found guilty of operating a studio and distributing films without a license, a crime punishable by up to five years in prison.
• Mackenzie has been in police custody for over six months following the discovery of hundreds of bodies in mass graves on his 800-acre property in Kilifi.
• Prosecutors allege that Mackenzie ordered his followers to starve to death as part of a ritual to meet Jesus, leading to the deaths of more than 400 people.
• Despite being arraigned in court multiple times, Mackenzie has not yet been formally charged in relation to the mass deaths.
• Prosecutors have requested that Mackenzie be held in custody for an additional six months to allow for the completion of investigations, including the search for dozens of missing persons.
• Since Mackenzie's arrest, there have been increasing calls for the Kenyan government to regulate churches in the country.