The Malindi Cult

In 2003, Paul Nthenge Mackenzie and his wife founded The Good News International Ministries (GNIM), also referred to as the Servant P. N. Mackenzie Ministries or the Malindi Cult.

Cult is very much a taboo word, especially in western culture. However, one should consider that it is defined as “a system of religious veneration and devotion directed towards a particular figure or object”. There is little difference between this definition and “human beings' relation to that which they regard as holy, sacred, absolute, spiritual, divine, or worthy of especial reverence”- the definition of religion. Though controversial, the idea that all religions are cults, and all cults are religions should be pondered especially concerning the topic of the Malindi Cult.

This group was often described as having Christian beliefs, though many of their opinions contradict that of mainstream Christianity. The people within GNIM had incredibly anti-western beliefs such as sport, education and healthcare being “evils of western life”, and the US, United Nations, and Catholic Church being "tools of Satan". These ideologies led the group to enforce policies such as no children within GNIM going to school and no people practicing unnecessary physical exercise (ie. exercise other than walking and running when necessary). These policies were against Kenyan laws and therefore, in 2019, 93 children were "rescued" from the group by Kenyan authorities. These children did not choose to be a part of GNIM, but as is true of most cults, if one is born into a cult, they must automatically become a part of it.

Furthermore, P. N. Mackenzie purported that The Malindi are an eschatological group which specifically follows the Pentecostal Prediction of WIlliam Branham. The Pentecostal Prediction is a prophecy which was delivered by WIlliam Branham in March of 1963. He claimed that on the 28th of February 1963, just as a mysterious but beautiful cloud passed over Arizona, he climbed Sunset Mountain and met 7 angels who told him the meaning of the 7 seals of The Book of Revelation. Pastor Branham claimed that the mysterious cloud was created by the seven angels, though the United States Air Force stated that they “immediately recognized the McDonald cloud as from an explosion of a rocket the afternoon of 28 February 1963”. This did not stop WIlliam Branham from returning to his hometown and conducting 7 sermons in 7 nights explaining the meaning of the seals and the 7 visions he was delivered by the angels. In these sermons the prophesized that Jesus would return in 1977.

Pastor Mackenzie gained a large following due to the fact that he convinced his followers he was speaking directly with God. These followers continued to stay loyal to the cult and its beliefs for many years and in 2019, after P. N. Mackenzie’s second arrest, they moved to the Shakahola forest in Kilifi, Kenya. The Malindi Cult gained an immense amount of international attention during this month due to allegations of the cult leader telling members to " starve themselves en masse” to "meet Jesus".

A man had contacted police when his wife and daughter left in early April to join “Mackenzie’s remote commune” and did not return home. When police arrived at the commune they found many emaciated people, they rescued 15 of them. They were all in incredibly poor condition and 4 died before receiving any form of treatment. The next few weeks, the police continued to search the area around the commune and found many shallow graves and survivors who were close to starving to death. Many people had been buried alive and not all members of the cult were accounted for. Some are believed to be hiding in the forest in order to avoid authorities and continue their fasting.

The people who were rescued told the police that "the fast would count only if they gathered together and offered them his farm as a fasting venue. They were not to mingle with anyone from the 'outside' world if they wanted to go to heaven and were to destroy all documents given by the government, including national IDs and birth certificates”. On the 18th of April, 110 people were counted as dead and more than 300 are still missing.

Mass suicides are common within cults as leaders are often able to brainwash their converts using different theologies, such as William Branham's End of Days Theology, and convincing them that mass suicides could hasten their escape from this life to be with Jesus.

This is still an unfinished case as so many members of the Malindi cult are still to be found.

Bibliography:

Ayenat Mersie. “More than 100 Died at a Religious Cult in Kenya. The Majority Are Children, Says Minister.” CBC, 28 Apr. 2023, www.cbc.ca/news/world/kenya-cult-deaths-children-1.6826023. Accessed 28 April 2023.

Jazeera, Al. “Why Did 73 Kenyan Cult Members Starve to Death? | the Namibian.” Namibian.com.na, 25 Apr. 2023, www.namibian.com.na/why-did-73-kenyan-cult-members-starve-to-death/. Accessed 1 May 2023.

Lwanga, Charles. “Pastor Paul Makenzi in Trouble Again.” Nation, Nation, 13 Apr. 2019, https://nation.africa/kenya/news/pastor-paul-makenzi-in-trouble-again-157952. Accessed 1 May 2023.

Mugambi, Hassan. “How Did We Get Here? Questions Arise over Malindi Cult That Has Been Operating since 2003.” Citizen Digital, Citizen Digital, 22 Apr. 2023, www.citizen.digital/news/how-did-we-get-here-questions-arise-over-malindi-cult-that-has-been-operating-since-2003-n318494. Accessed 28 April 2023.

Mwai, Peter. “Pastor Paul Mackenzie: What Did the Starvation Cult Leader Preach?” BBC News, BBC News, 28 Apr. 2023, www.bbc.com/news/world-africa-65412822. Accessed 28 April 2023.

“William Branham Evangelistic Association.” Branham.org, 2023, http://branham.org/en/wbea. Accessed 26 April 2023.

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