DPP seeks death penalty for Pastor Mackenzie over 191 Shakahola murders

The DPP has urged the court to sentence controversial preacher Paul Nthenge Mackenzie to death for his role in the murder of 191 people at Shakahola Forest in Kilifi County, including 190 children.

The Director of Public Prosecutions (DPP), through Deputy Director of Public Prosecutions Jami Yamina, made the application before the High Court in Mombasa during sentencing submissions on Tuesday, November 3, arguing that the severity of the crimes warranted the maximum punishment.

The prosecution also wants 27 other convicts to serve life imprisonment, citing the seriousness of the offenses, the number of victims and the need to protect the public.

Yamina told the court that the proposed punishment for Mackenzie should take into account the circumstances surrounding the deaths and the threat posed to society.

"The prosecution supports the imposition of capital punishment for Mackenzie, subject to consideration of his mitigation, remorse, regret and prospects of rehabilitation," Yamina submitted.

He relied on Section 204 of the Penal Code and the Supreme Court's Muruatetu jurisprudence, arguing that the circumstances of the case justified the death penalty.

Mackenzie and 28 co-accused were convicted of 191 counts of murder arising from the deaths at Shakahola Forest in Malindi Sub-County, Kilifi County, between January 2021 and September 2023.

The court found them guilty following a trial in which the prosecution presented evidence linking the accused to the deaths. The 191 victims comprised 190 children and one adult.

Mackenzie is the founder of Good News International Church, a religious organization he established in 2003 after previously working as a taxi driver in Malindi.

His ministry attracted followers through teachings centered on biblical prophecy, the end of the world and the second coming of Jesus Christ.

Investigations into the Shakahola deaths established that followers were encouraged to abandon conventional education, healthcare and other aspects of modern life.

The church's teachings increasingly revolved around extreme fasting, with followers reportedly being instructed to starve themselves to death to meet Jesus.

Mackenzie's activities had attracted the attention of authorities before the discovery of the mass graves. Authorities shut down his church in 2019, but he continued to preach to followers.

The Shakahola tragedy came to national attention in April 2023 after authorities began uncovering bodies buried in shallow graves in the forest.

In October 2026, the High Court convicted Mackenzie and 28 others over the 191 murders, with Justice Diana Kavedza finding that the prosecution had proved its case against all 29 accused persons.

During Tuesday's sentencing submissions, the prosecution argued that the punishment should balance retribution, deterrence, public protection, denunciation of crime, restorative justice and rehabilitation.

Yamina told the court that the other convicts had been heavily indoctrinated by Mackenzie and could remain vulnerable to reoffending.

He urged the court to consider the individual culpability of each accused person while taking into account the possibility of continued radicalization.

The prosecution also presented recommendations from the National Counter Terrorism Centre (NCTC), proposing that the convicts voluntarily participate in rehabilitation programs and engage with counter-narratives to support their eventual reintegration into society.

Should the court decline to impose life imprisonment on the 27 co-accused, the DPP proposed consecutive sentences, arguing that each of the 191 deaths constituted a separate murder offense.

The prosecution further suggested grouping victims into three categories based on age: children aged up to seven years, those aged between eight and 14, and minors aged between 15 and 18, to guide sentencing.

The DPP also made separate submissions concerning Enos Amanya Ngala, who pleaded guilty to all 191 murder counts and was convicted on his own plea.

The prosecution asked the court to consider the plea-bargaining agreement and proposed a custodial rehabilitation program lasting between 24 and 30 months.

The proposal includes periodic progress reports to guide a subsequent review of his sentence, taking into account an anticipated 11-year custodial term, time already spent in remand and applicable remission.

Justice Diana Kavedza is expected to deliver the sentences against the 29 convicts on November 6, 2026.