Kenyan doomsday cult leader given life sentence for murdering 191 people

A Kenyan court has sentenced the leader of a doomsday cult, Paul Mackenzie, to life in prison for murdering 191 people, all but one of them children.Alongside 27 others, Mackenzie was found guilty of the murders for instructing members of his cult to starve their children to death so they could "meet Jesus".The self-styled pastor was arrested in 2023 after the discovery of more than 400 bodies in shallow graves in Shakahola forest near the Kenyan coast. The sprawling investigation into the cases shocked Kenya and drew international attention. Ahead of sentencing, prosecutors in the court in Mombasa had argued for the death penalty for Mackenzie because of the gravity of the crimes.The prosecutors also cited what they described as Mackenzie's lack of remorse for the crimes. They requested life sentences for his co-accused.Before the hearing began on Friday morning, Francis Wanje, who lost eight relatives in Shakahola forest, including two grandchildren, told the BBC's Newsday programme that he was "hoping for... a sentence which will match his [Mackenzie's] deeds in the forest". Mackenzie and the co-accused have formally pleaded for mercy and asked for leniency from the court. Befor...