Surprising Details as to Why Mackenzie Can’t be Hanged after Found Guilty of 191 Murder Charges

The question of whether controversial preacher Paul Nthenge Mackenzie might be executed has come up after the High Court found him and his co-accused guilty on all 191 murder charges connected to the Shakahola tragedy.

The verdict, given on Monday, October 19, 2026, came after a trial regarding the deaths of followers linked to Mackenzie’s Good News International Church in Kilifi County.

The prosecution argued that followers were made to undergo severe fasting in the belief that this would take them to heaven.

But a murder conviction doesn’t automatically mean the accused will be executed, even if all possible appeals have been used.

Therefore, Mackenzie cannot be hanged even if all his appeals are exhausted. What Kenyan law says about hanging Kenyan law permits hanging as the method for carrying out a death sentence under Section 69 of the Prisons Act, while Section 204 of the Penal Code states that murder can result in the death penalty.

However, having capital punishment in the law does not mean that every person convicted of murder will be executed.

The court is required to take into account sentencing principles and the specific circumstances of the case when deciding on the appropriate punishment.

Although hanging remains legal, Kenya has not carried out any execution since 1987. In 2017, the Supreme Court of Kenya ruled in the case of Francis Karioko Muruatetu and another v. Republic.

The court declared that the mandatory death penalty for murder was unconstitutional, stating that judges must have the freedom to consider the details of each case when deciding on a sentence.

This did not end capital punishment, but it changed how the courts handle murder cases. Judges now have to consider various factors before deciding on a sentence, which means a conviction alone does not ensure that the person will be executed.

For Mackenzie, the 191 murder convictions do not automatically mean he will be executed. The court must officially decide on his sentence, and that sentence is still subject to legal processes.

Even if Paul Mackenzie uses up all his possible appeals and a death sentence is still in effect, it doesn’t mean he will be executed right away. Kenya still has the death penalty in its laws, but it hasn’t carried out any execution since 1987. This fact shows that a death sentence doesn’t automatically lead to execution.

Another important factor is the president’s power of mercy. Article 133 of the Constitution allows the president, with the help of the Advisory Committee on the Power of Mercy, to grant a pardon, replace a sentence with a lighter one, or reduce the punishment given to a convicted person.

Link:https://x.com/K24Tv/status/2112229625082331307

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