Mombasa High Court Judge Diana Kavedza-Mochache has found controversial preacher Paul Nthenge Mackenzie guilty on all 191 counts of murder linked to the Shakahola tragedy, marking a major development in the case involving the deaths of more than 400 people in Kilifi County.
Mackenzie was convicted on all 191 murder charges, with the court scheduled to deliver his sentence on Friday, November 6, 2026, at the Mombasa High Court. The sentencing will determine the punishment imposed on the preacher following the court's findings.
His 29 co-accused have also been convicted on the same charges, following a ruling delivered by Justice Kavedza on Monday, October 19.
"I am satisfied that the prosecution has proved the case against all the 29 accused persons for the murder of 190 children, and one adult, contrary to Section 203 of the Penal Code," Justice Kavedza stated.
"I accordingly find all the 29 accused persons guilty as charged, and convict each accused person individually and collectively under Section 323 of the Criminal Procedure Court."
The court reached its decision by comparing the deaths of more than 400 followers with international standards for determining mass killings under the Rome Statute of the International Criminal Court (ICC) and United Nations legal frameworks.
Justice Diana Kavedza said the court found that some victims died from strangulation and asphyxiation, a condition caused by a severe lack of oxygen.
The court also established that Mackenzie and his co-accused discouraged their followers from seeking medical care, rejecting vaccination and antenatal services while depicting hospitals, doctors and pharmaceutical companies as “instruments of evil.”
The court found that GIN Church displayed traits associated with an apocalyptic or doomsday cult, pointing to evidence of isolation, psychological manipulation, control over followers and unquestioning submission to the preacher’s teachings.
“The court does not therefore hesitate to find that GNI Ministries was a cult as it met all the characteristics of an apocalyptic or doomsday cult,” Justice Kavedza said.
The court is expected to receive probation reports for the accused on October 30 ahead of the mitigation proceedings.
Meanwhile, the sentencing hearing is set to commence on Monday, November 2, with the court scheduled to deliver its sentence on Friday, November 6.
The case stems from the Shakahola tragedy, in which numerous bodies were discovered in shallow graves in the Shakahola forest in Kilifi County in 2023.
Investigations linked the deaths to a religious group associated with Mackenzie, who was accused of encouraging followers to engage in extreme fasting practices in preparation for what he allegedly described as a spiritual journey.
The Shakahola deaths sparked national and international attention, prompting investigations into the activities of religious organisations, the protection of vulnerable followers and the regulation of religious institutions in Kenya.
Mackenzie's conviction on all 191 murder counts now places the focus on the upcoming sentencing, as the court prepares to determine the consequences of the offences established during the trial.
