Controversial preacher Paul Mackenzie has been handed a 200-year prison sentence over the Shakahola massacre, in which 191 people, including 190 children, died following extreme religious fasting.
The sentence was delivered by Lady Justice Diana Kavedza Mochache at the High Court in Mombasa on Friday, November 6, 2026, after Mackenzie was found guilty of 191 counts of murder.
The judge directed that Mackenzie's 100-year prison terms for each of the 191 starvation-related murders be served concurrently. A separate set of 100-year sentences for the eight counts of direct homicide will also run concurrently.
However, the two categories of sentences will run consecutively, bringing Mackenzie's total prison term to 200 years.
In her ruling, Justice Kavedza ordered: "The first convict, Paul Mackenzie, 100 years' imprisonment for each of the 191 counts of murder by starvation, one count involving an adult victim and 190 counts involving child victims, to run concurrently with one another."
She further stated: "Again, 100 years' imprisonment for each of the eight counts of murder by direct homicide, involving child victims, to run concurrently with one another. The sentences in subparagraphs A and B shall run consecutively, making an aggregate sentence of 200 years for convict Paul Mackenzie."
Explaining the rationale behind the punishment, the judge said it was meant to serve the purposes of retribution, denunciation and deterrence, taking into account the magnitude of the crimes and the suffering experienced by the victims and their families.
"The objectives of sentencing, particularly retribution, denunciation, and deterrence, require that punishment be experienced as a tangible loss by the offender," Justice Kavedza stated.
The court also addressed the prosecution's plea for the death penalty, with Justice Kavedza noting that capital punishment was not mandatory but could be imposed at the court's discretion in exceptional circumstances.
However, the judge explained that allowing Mackenzie to remain alive would leave room for him to provide crucial information about the whereabouts of missing children, potentially helping families who are still seeking answers.
"The death sentence will foreclose the possibility of disengagement and rehabilitation. It would also extinguish the possibility that a living convict may disclose the location of the remains of the missing children," she stated.
The sentencing came after a judgment issued on October 19, 2026, in which the court convicted Mackenzie and 28 other accused persons on all 191 counts. The judge ruled that the prosecution had proved its case beyond reasonable doubt.
In her earlier ruling, Justice Kavedza established that Mackenzie, the leader of Good News International Ministries, had instructed his followers to starve themselves to death in anticipation of meeting Jesus.
The court found that children were the first targets of the deadly practice before it was extended to young people, women and men.
Justice Kavedza further ruled that the fasting was not undertaken voluntarily, but was enforced through a structured system involving religious indoctrination, intimidation and violence.
