Shakahola massacre: prosecutors seek death penalty for Mackenzie
By the AFREEQUE newsroom, based on Capital FM
Kenya’s prosecution service is seeking the death penalty for preacher Paul Nthenge Mackenzie, convicted for his role in the Shakahola massacre, which killed 191 people, including 190 children. At sentencing hearings in Mombasa, it also sought life imprisonment for 27 other convicts, Capital FM reports.
Kenya’s prosecution service asked the High Court in Mombasa on 3 November to sentence preacher Paul Nthenge Mackenzie to death for his role in the Shakahola massacre, Capital FM reports. The prosecution cited the gravity of the crimes and the death toll of 191, including 190 children.
The prosecution is also seeking life imprisonment for 27 other convicts. It has asked the court to consider each person’s degree of responsibility and the risk of reoffending, and recommends rehabilitation programmes offered by the National Counter Terrorism Centre. The court has yet to set the sentences.
The request follows the conviction of Mackenzie and 28 co-defendants for murders committed in Shakahola Forest, Kenya, between January 2021 and September 2023. The verdict against 29 defendants was delivered on 20 October 2026.
