Paul Mackenzie Sentenced to 200 Years in Prison Over Shakahola Massacre
Controversial preacher and Good News International Church founder Paul Nthenge Mackenzie has been sentenced to 200 years in prison for orchestrating the deaths of 191 people, including 190 children, in the Shakahola massacre in Kilifi County.
The sentence was delivered on Friday, November 6, 2026, by High Court Judge Diana Kavedza-Mochache at the Mombasa High Court, following Mackenzie’s conviction on 191 counts of murder.
The court imposed two separate 100-year prison terms, distinguishing between victims who died through starvation and those who were directly killed.
Mackenzie received the first 100-year sentence for 183 counts of murder by starvation, involving 182 children and one adult. He was handed another 100 years for eight counts of murder by direct homicide, all involving children.
Justice Kavedza ordered that the sentences within each category run concurrently, while the two categories would run consecutively, bringing his total prison term to 200 years.
“The sentences in sub-paragraphs a and b shall run consecutively, making an aggregate sentence of 200 years’ imprisonment for convict Mackenzie,” the judge ruled.
The court also sentenced Mackenzie’s 28 co-accused to prison terms ranging from 10 to 160 years. His deputy, Smart Deri Mwakalama, received a 160-year sentence for his role in the killings. Daily Nation+2
Prosecutors had sought the death penalty for Mackenzie. However, Justice Kavedza declined the request, observing that executing individuals who believed death would reunite them with Jesus could be perceived by them as a form of triumph or martyrdom rather than punishment. Daily Nation+1
The Shakahola tragedy came to national and international attention in April 2023 following the discovery of mass graves in Shakahola Forest, Kilifi County. Investigations revealed that Mackenzie had allegedly instructed followers to starve themselves and their children to death in the belief that doing so would enable them to meet Jesus.
More than 400 bodies have since been exhumed from shallow graves, making the incident one of Kenya’s deadliest cases of religious extremism. CBS News+2
The sentencing marks a major development in a case that sparked nationwide debate over religious extremism, the regulation of religious institutions and the protection of vulnerable communities.
