Kenyan cult leader Mackenzie sentenced to 200 years over Shakahola massacre
A Kenyan court has sentenced cult leader Paul Nthenge Mackenzie to 200 years in prison for the murder of 191 people, including 190 children, in the Shakahola Forest massacre.
Delivering the ruling in Mombasa on Friday, Judge Diana Kavedza ordered that Mackenzie's sentences run consecutively, bringing his total prison term to 200 years.
Mackenzie and his 28 co-accused appeared in court under heavy security, with the other defendants receiving sentences ranging from 10 to 160 years.
His lawyer, Lawrence Obonyo, criticised the punishment as excessive and unconstitutional, arguing that a 200-year sentence was impractical for someone already over 50 years old.
However, relatives of the victims welcomed the ruling. Francis Wanje described the sentence as effectively a life term, saying Mackenzie would spend the rest of his life behind bars.
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The Shakahola massacre came to light in 2023 after authorities discovered mass graves linked to Mackenzie's Good News International Church.
More than 400 bodies were recovered from the forest, with prosecutors alleging that Mackenzie instructed followers to starve themselves and their children to death in the belief that they would reach heaven.
This story is written and edited by the Global South World team, you can contact us here.
