Justice Diana Kavedza finds Paul Mackenzie and his co-accused guilty of murdering 190 children and one adult.
The High Court has delivered Shakahola murder convictions against all 29 accused, including preacher Paul Mackenzie. Justice Diana Kavedza found them guilty of killing 191 people and set sentencing for November 6.
The victims included 190 children below 16 years and one adult. In the October 19 judgment, the court rejected the defence argument that the victims had voluntarily fasted to death.
Kavedza ruled that prosecutors had proved the murder case against all 29 accused under Section 203 of the Penal Code. The court then convicted them under Section 322 of the Criminal Procedure Code.
Shakahola murder convictions move to sentencing
Mackenzie was among those convicted on all 191 murder counts. One accused had pleaded guilty to every count, and the court convicted him on that plea.
The judge directed all convicts to appear physically in court for sentencing on November 6. Before then, the Probation and Aftercare Services must prepare an individual pre-sentence report for each person.
Each convict will have a separate probation officer, with no officer allowed to interview more than one convict. The court expects the reports on October 30, after which defence lawyers will present mitigation submissions.
Meanwhile, Kavedza said the court had already received 68 victim impact statements from probation officers across Kenya. Those statements will not be repeated, leaving mitigation ahead of sentencing.
Court heard survivor and forensic evidence
The trial included testimony from survivors, victims’ relatives, investigators and forensic experts. Prosecutors also presented postmortem findings and other evidence gathered during investigations into the deaths.
The prosecution argued that the accused shared a plan that led to the killings. It relied on the legal doctrine of common intention, alleging that they acted towards a shared objective.
In April, Kavedza found that Mackenzie and his co-accused had a case to answer. The defence subsequently presented its case before the court reserved judgment.
Deaths exposed failures to protect followers
The case arose from deaths linked to extreme fasting among followers of Mackenzie’s Good News International Church. Investigators discovered mass graves in Shakahola Forest, Kilifi County, in April 2023.
The discoveries prompted extensive searches and exhumations involving police, pathologists and forensic specialists. Investigators alleged that Mackenzie encouraged followers to reject food, medical treatment and formal education.
Separately, the Kenya National Commission on Human Rights documented 448 deaths in its March 2024 report, Mashaka ya Shakahola. It also recorded more than 600 people missing.
At the time, the commission said families had received fewer than 10 per cent of identified bodies for burial. Its investigation linked deaths to starvation, strangulation, head injuries and dehydration, drawing on autopsies and witness accounts.
The commission also criticised state agencies for failing to respond to earlier warnings about Mackenzie’s activities. The wider investigations have led to multiple criminal proceedings involving deaths, radicalisation and organised criminal activity.
