Shakahola Case: What Happens Next to Paul Mackenzie and 28 Others After Conviction

Following the verdict at the High Court sitting in Mombasa, doomsday cult leader Paul Nthenge Mackenzie and 28 of his followers were convicted of 191 counts of murder under sections 203 and 204 of the Penal Code.

Lady Justice Diana Kavedza Mochache delivered the landmark judgment on October 19, 2026, officially finding the group guilty of orchestrating the deaths of 190 children and one adult in the dense Shakahola forest.

With the determination of guilt now legally established, public attention turns to the procedural steps remaining before final punishment is rendered.

Justice Mochache outlined a structured, tightly controlled timeline that governs pre-sentencing evaluations, mitigation submissions, and the final sentencing hearing set for early November.

During the delivery of the judgment, Lady Justice Kavedza Mochache directly addressed the prosecution team, defence counsel, and the Office of the Director of Public Prosecutions (ODPP) regarding the transition to the sentencing phase.

The judge confirmed that extensive evidence from victims had already been documented, rendering separate victim impact statements unnecessary at this stage.

Highlighting the need for operational efficiency and procedural integrity, Lady Justice Diana Kavedza Mochache stated: “Judgment is read and delivered on October 19, with the quorum in the presence of the prosecution and the DPP. I already have 68 victims represented, and I’m going to keep taking evidence from the victims. There will be no victim impact statement because I already did. What therefore remains is mitigation…do you want oral or written mitigation? Oral will save us time.”

To ensure each individual's role and background are thoroughly evaluated prior to sentencing, the High Court directed the Department of Probation and Aftercare Services to compile detailed pre-sentence reports.

Given the unprecedented scale of the multi-defendant case, the court implemented a strict administrative mandate ensuring no single probation officer handles multiple convicts.

Justice Kavedza instructed: “Each accused person will be assigned his/her own probation officer…we have quite a number in Nairobi, Malindi and Mombasa, and the order is that one probation officer will not interview two convicts. I’m giving the director of probation and aftercare services a very short period for that. The court will sit for the sentence hearing on first mention.”

The court established a clear timeline for the final stages of the trial. The official court schedule calls for a physical mention in open court to formally receive all individual probation reports, followed immediately by oral mitigation hearings.

Outlining the exact sequence of upcoming court appearances, Lady Justice Kavedza noted: “I will travel on Thursday, October 29; the first hearing is on October 30, a physical mention in court to receive the probation report, and thereafter, on Monday, November 2, we will begin the sentence hearing. The sentence will be delivered on Friday, November 6.”

• October 30, 2026: Physical court mention to formally receive individual probation reports compiled by officers across Nairobi, Malindi, and Mombasa.

• November 2, 2026: Commencement of formal oral mitigation submissions by defence counsel representing Mackenzie and his 28 co-convicts.

• November 6, 2026: Final judgment delivery in open court, where Lady Justice Kavedza Mochache will issue sentences for all 29 convicts.

Under Kenyan criminal law, murder convictions carry maximum statutory penalties, including life imprisonment. Because Paul Mackenzie and his co-accused were individually and collectively convicted on 191 distinct counts of murder, the court retains judicial discretion in weighing mitigating arguments against the severe aggravating factors presented throughout the trial.

All 29 convicts remain remanded in custody as probation officers carry out field interviews ahead of the October 30 deadline. When the court reconvenes on Friday, November 6, 2026, the formal sentencing will bring legal finality to the primary murder charges in one of Kenya's most horrific mass crimes