Paul Mackenzie Sentenced to 200 Years in Prison Over Shakahola Massacre

Kenyan preacher Paul Nthenge Mackenzie has been sentenced to 200 years in prison for his role in the deaths of 191 people, including 190 children, in the devastating Shakahola massacre in Kilifi County.

The sentence was handed down by the High Court in Mombasa on Friday, November 6, 2026, marking a major development in one of Kenya’s most disturbing criminal cases.

According to reports by The Standard and Associated Press, Justice Diana Kavedza Mochache imposed two separate 100-year prison terms on Mackenzie, the founder of Good News International Church. The sentences relate to two categories of murder established during the trial.

The first 100-year sentence concerns 183 murder counts involving 182 children and one adult who died through starvation. Mackenzie received another 100 years for eight counts of direct homicide involving children.

The court ordered the sentences to run consecutively, bringing his total prison term to 200 years.

The tragedy unfolded at Shakahola Forest in Kilifi County between January 2021 and September 2023. Investigations established that Mackenzie instructed followers of his religious organisation to undertake extreme fasting, allegedly convincing them that refusing food would allow them to meet Jesus before the end of the world.

The court heard disturbing evidence about how the practice affected families, particularly children. Some victims reportedly died from starvation, while others suffered fatal injuries, including strangulation, suffocation and blunt force trauma.

The investigation gained national and international attention in April 2023 when authorities began uncovering bodies in mass graves across the forest. More than 400 bodies have since been recovered from locations associated with the tragedy, although the 191 deaths formed the subject of the murder trial.

Mackenzie was not the only person punished over the killings. His 28 co-accused were also sentenced to prison terms ranging from 10 to 160 years, depending on their involvement in the crimes.

The prosecution had reportedly requested the death penalty for Mackenzie, arguing that the scale and brutality of the killings deserved the harshest possible punishment. However, the judge imposed the lengthy prison sentence instead.

Despite the latest ruling, Mackenzie still faces separate legal proceedings connected to other alleged offences arising from the wider Shakahola tragedy.

Source: https://x.com/TheNairobiTimez/status/2118729015980613959?a=ni6dKWkmjRHtXUq3Bks&s=19

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