A Kenyan court today sentenced cult leader Makansi to 200 years in prison for the murder of 190 children. Following his orders, the children died of hunger and their bodies were buried in the forest.
Reuters reported that the Paul McKenzie case involved approximately 500 suspected victims and was one of the worst cult-related mass murders in modern history.
Kenyan judge Diana Kawedza, in sentencing, said Makensi was sentenced to 100 years in prison for murder by starving the victim and two counts of outright murder.
Prosecutors said Makensi was in eastern KenyaIndia He leads an esoteric Christian church in a forest near the beach and instructs believers to fast until death with their children in order to go to heaven before the end of the world.
His associates threatened and beat the victims to ensure that they followed his orders. The embalmed remains of the victims were scattered in shallow graves, and some were thrown into latrines. Some victims were even buried alive.
McKenzie, dressed in a gray polo shirt and black trousers, listened to the judge read the sentence in a tent set up outside the court, but did not react to the sentence.
