Justice Diana Kavedza: Meet No-Nonsense Judge Who Sentenced Paul Mackenzie to 200 Years in Prison

Justice Diana Rachel Kavedza-Mochache has drawn national attention after handing down a 200-year prison sentence against Shakahola cult leader Paul Nthenge Mackenzie.

Kavedza delivered the sentence at the High Court in Mombasa on November 6, 2026, after Mackenzie was convicted of murdering 191 people, including 190 children, in the Shakahola massacre.

The judge imposed a 100-year term for murder by starvation and another 100 years for murder by direct homicide. The two terms were ordered to run consecutively, resulting in an aggregate sentence of 200 years.

Her career in the justice system spans more than three decades, having joined the Judiciary in 1993 as a District Magistrate II (Professional).

She rose through the ranks to become a Chief Magistrate before her appointment as a High Court judge in 2022.

Before joining the High Court, Kavedza served as a magistrate at different court stations across the country.

She also headed the Shanzu and Kahawa Counter-Terrorism Courts, where she gained experience in handling criminal proceedings.

Following her appointment as a High Court judge in 2022, she served in the Milimani Criminal Division and at the Kibera High Court in Nairobi.

Her judicial responsibilities have also extended beyond hearing cases. According to the Judiciary, she chaired the National Community Service Orders Committee and previously led the Business Premises Rent Tribunal (BPRT).

Kavedza holds both a Bachelor of Laws (LLB) and a Master of Laws (LLM) degree from the University of Nairobi.

She also completed a postgraduate diploma at the Kenya School of Law and was admitted to the Bar in 1991, two years before joining the judicial service.

Her professional training includes a certificate in Strategic Leadership from the Kenya School of Government and another in Crisis Leadership from Rosewell Academy in the United States.

The court found Mackenzie guilty of the murders of 191 people, comprising 190 children and one adult, whose deaths were linked to a fasting regime promoted within Good News International Church.

The victims died in Shakahola Forest in Kilifi County between January 2021 and September 2023. Mackenzie's sentence followed the court's conviction in October 2026.

The 200-year sentence placed Kavedza at the centre of one of Kenya's most closely followed criminal cases, while drawing attention to her long career in the country's justice system.

Beyond the Shakahola massacre trial, Justice Diana Kavedza-Mochache has presided over several other high-profile criminal proceedings, including cases involving terrorism, murder and the deaths of schoolchildren.

During her time at the Kahawa Counter-Terrorism Court, she handled proceedings involving two men accused of facilitating the January 2019 DusitD2 hotel terrorist attack in Nairobi.

The two were eventually convicted of aiding the attackers and sentenced to 30 years in prison.

She has also presided over the murder trial of blogger Albert Ojwang, in which former Central Police Station OCS Samson Talaam and five others are accused of involvement in his death.

The case attracted national attention following Ojwang's death in police custody in June 2025.

Another prominent matter before her is the Utumishi Girls Academy dormitory fire case, involving eight minors charged with the murder of 16 students who died in the May 2026 blaze.

During the proceedings, Kavedza emphasised the protection of the accused children's identities under the law.

The judge has also handled proceedings in the murder case of Nairobi lawyer Matthew Kyalo Mbobu, in which several suspects, including police officers, appeared before her at the Kibera High Court in October 2026 and denied the charges.

These cases have added to Kavedza's experience in handling complex criminal proceedings involving serious offences and matters that have attracted considerable public interest.