By Ahmed Abdelsalam
A Kenyan court has sentenced pastor Paul Mackenzie to 200 years in prison for the murders of 191 people, including 190 children and one adult, who were ordered to starve themselves to death in a bid to meet Jesus.
Sentencing at Mombasa High Court
Justice Diana Kavedza delivered the sentence on Friday at the High Court in Mombasa, stating that Mackenzie bore the "primary criminal culpability" for relocating his followers to a remote ranch and directing them to fast until death. The court found Mackenzie and 28 of his followers guilty on October 19 of the 191 murders.
Mass Graves and Investigation
In 2023, more than 400 bodies were exhumed from shallow graves on the 800-acre Chakama Ranch in Kilifi County, where Mackenzie's Good News International Church adherents lived in isolation. Of those, 183 victims died of starvation and eight were classified as direct homicide. Over 60 bodies have been identified and reburied by relatives; many remain unclaimed.
Co-Defendants and Additional Charges
Assistant pastor Smart Mwakalama received a 160-year sentence. All 29 convicted individuals denied the charges except one who confessed. Mackenzie also faces terrorism, manslaughter, child abuse, and torture charges in two other courts for more than 200 additional victims.
Reactions and Appeals
Defense lawyer Lawrence Obonyo said he has already filed an appeal, arguing the lengthy sentences amount to life imprisonment and circumvent the constitution. A bereaved father, Suleiman Ziro, who lost six children and his wife, called the sentence insufficient and demanded the death penalty. Mackenzie's son, Dan Mackenzie, said the conviction represented "justice served to the victims." Those sentenced to death in Kenya serve life terms; the country's last execution was in 1987.
