Shakahola: sentence of Paul Mackenzie, who faces death for 191 murders, awaited in Kenya
By the AFREEQUE newsroom, based on Seneweb
The Mombasa court is due on 6 November 2026 to hand down the sentence of Paul Mackenzie, leader of the apocalyptic sect convicted along with 28 accomplices of murdering 190 children and one adult between 2021 and 2023, in the "Shakahola forest massacre". The defence has announced an appeal, and Mackenzie faces the death penalty, according to Seneweb.
The self-proclaimed pastor Paul Mackenzie, convicted of murdering 191 people including 190 children, is due to have his sentence handed down on Friday 6 November 2026 by the court in Mombasa, Kenya, where he faces the death penalty. The prosecution called earlier this week for the death penalty against the cult leader, a provision written into Kenyan law, but the last execution in the country dates back to 1987.
The case, dubbed the "Shakahola forest massacre", came to light with the discovery of hundreds of bodies in 2023 in the hinterland near the beaches of Malindi, in southern Kenya. The court found Mackenzie and 28 accomplices guilty of the murders of 190 children and one adult between January 2021 and September 2023; the defence lawyer has announced an appeal.
According to the testimonies gathered, Mackenzie "directed" the fasts according to a "hierarchy of death": children first, then adolescents, women and finally men. Francis Wanje, a 62-year-old retired teacher who lost two grandchildren in the tragedy, hopes for a death sentence to prevent further tragedies, while believing that "nothing can ease the pain".
Mackenzie also faces, in separate cases, charges of "involuntary manslaughter" and "terrorism".
The sentence comes after his conviction to 200 years in prison for 191 murders, handed down earlier on Friday, and three days after the prosecution's call for the death penalty, on 3 November.
