Mackenzie and 27 other defendants were found guilty of influencing members of the church to undertake extreme fasting, which resulted in the deaths of hundreds of people in one of Kenya’s most disturbing religious tragedies.
Delivering the judgment at the Mombasa High Court on Friday, Justice Diana Mochache held Mackenzie primarily responsible for the deaths, stating that he had instructed his followers to continue fasting until they died.
The judge described the lengthy prison sentence as appropriate, stressing the need to send a strong message that crimes of such magnitude would attract severe punishment under the law.
The conviction followed investigations into the deaths of members of Mackenzie’s church, whose remains were discovered in shallow graves in Shakahola Forest in 2023.
More than 400 bodies were eventually recovered from the forest, with forensic investigations indicating that starvation was the leading cause of death in many cases. Investigators alleged that victims had followed Mackenzie’s instructions to fast until they died in preparation for meeting Jesus.
The tragedy, which became widely known as the Shakahola massacre, exposed the dangers of religious extremism and the exploitation of vulnerable followers by individuals claiming spiritual authority.
Investigators said the victims included men, women and children, with some families allegedly participating in the deadly fasting under the influence of the church’s teachings.
Mackenzie, who pleaded not guilty, denied forcing or compelling anyone to participate in the fasting exercise. However, prosecutors maintained that he used his religious influence to persuade followers to engage in practices that ultimately led to their deaths.
The state had sought the death penalty for Mackenzie and his accomplices, arguing that the scale of the tragedy and the circumstances surrounding the victims’ deaths warranted the harshest possible punishment.
The case has attracted widespread attention in Kenya and beyond, prompting renewed debate about religious freedom, the regulation of religious organisations and the responsibility of authorities to protect citizens from dangerous cult-like practices.
The Shakahola tragedy also raised questions about how such a large-scale loss of life could occur without earlier intervention, despite the activities of the church and the vulnerability of its members.
Mackenzie’s sentencing represents a major development in the prosecution of those accused of orchestrating the deaths. The case has become a significant reference point in discussions about accountability, religious manipulation and the protection of vulnerable people.
