Controversial preacher Paul Nthenge Mackenzie has been sentenced to 200 years in prison for his role in the deaths of 190 children and one adult in the Shakahola massacre.

The sentence was delivered on Friday, November 6, by High Court Judge Diana Kavedza at the Mombasa Law Courts, where the preacher and 28 co-accused had appeared for sentencing.

Justice Kavedza handed Mackenzie 100 years for murder by starvation and another 100 years for direct homicide, citing the scale of the killings and his role in orchestrating the deaths.

The judge found that Mackenzie exploited the trust of vulnerable followers through religious teachings, directing them to starve themselves and their children in preparation for what he described as the end of the world.

The court also sentenced the 28 co-accused to prison terms ranging from 10 to 160 years, depending on their individual roles and levels of culpability.

Mackenzie had denied the murder charges, maintaining that he did not force his followers to starve. However, the court rejected his defence.

Defence lawyer Lawrence Obonyo, who represented Mackenzie and most of the other convicts, said the legal team would appeal the judgment.

The Shakahola tragedy came to light in April 2023 after police discovered mass graves in Shakahola Forest, Kilifi County. According to the Kenya National Commission on Human Rights, 448 bodies were eventually recovered from the forest.

The 191 deaths covered in the trial represent only part of the wider tragedy, with Mackenzie also facing separate charges over the alleged deaths of 52 people at another location.

Reacting to the sentencing, Stephen Mwiti, whose six children died in Shakahola, said the punishment would not bring back his family members.

“I lost children and I will not be able to get them back no matter what happens to Mackenzie and his accomplices,” he told Reuters.

The case has renewed calls for stronger oversight of religious institutions and accountability among authorities accused of ignoring earlier warning signs.