Monday 19 October 2026 · Edition of the day

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The Skeptic's Daily

The day's biggest stories, taken apart. For each one: what is actually established, what is only asserted, the questions worth asking — and a plausibility score for the central claim, given everything currently known.

Stories
1
Average plausibility
73%
How to read the score
It rates how well the core claim is evidenced — not how important the story is, nor whether it is good or bad news.
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01Conflict & SecurityAfrica

Kenyan pastor faces verdict over alleged child-starvation orders

The BBC reports that Paul Mackenzie faces a verdict, with prosecutors alleging he directed further deaths from prison.

BBC News reports that Kenyan pastor Paul Mackenzie faces a verdict over accusations that he ordered parents to starve their children to death. Prosecutors allege that he lured the latest victims to their deaths through notes written from his prison cell. The supplied item does not report a verdict.

What holds up

  • ✓The BBC identifies Mackenzie as facing a verdict, rather than reporting a conviction in this proceeding.
  • ✓The alleged use of prison notes is explicitly attributed to prosecutors, not presented as a court finding.

What doesn't yet

  • ?The underlying allegations come from the prosecution; the excerpt includes neither the defence's response nor the evidence tested in court.
  • ?The summary gives no victim count, precise charges or verdict timetable.

Ask before you share

  • →What evidence links the alleged prison notes to Mackenzie and the deaths?
  • →What has the defence argued, and has the court now delivered its verdict?

Sources & original reporting

  1. [1]BBC News · Published 19 Oct 2026 · bbc.co.uk