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23-10-2026 07:00

A judge in Kenya has begun delivering a verdict in a landmark mass murder trial involving doomsday preacher Paul Mackenzie and 29 of his followers.

The group faces charges over the deaths of 191 people, almost all of whom were children.

Mackenzie established a remote camp in a forest, where he convinced hundreds of devotees that the end of the world was approaching. He instructed his followers to starve themselves to death so they could meet Jesus faster. He ordered that children be starved first, followed by women, and finally men. Police later uncovered hundreds of decomposed bodies in shallow mass graves scattered throughout the forest.

Despite the horrific allegations and extensive physical evidence, Mackenzie and his co-defendants have pleaded not guilty, and claimed that no one was forced to die. Grieving families who lost entire households are waiting for the court’s verdict, and they hope it will finally bring closure.

Difficult words: preacher (a person who gives religious speeches), devotee (a strong believer or follower), allegation (a statement claiming that someone has done something wrong or illegal, made without proof yet).

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