Kenya: Sentencing of cult leader Mackenzie draws mixed reactions

Kenyans reacted differently to the sentencing of the leader of a doomsday cult linked to the deaths of more than 400 people. Some called the sentencing of Paul Mackenzie to 200 years in prison fair, while others said it did not go far enough. One father who lost six children and a wife said he hoped for a more punitive sentence. I would say today's outcome is good. However, what is a good outcome for me? Of importance to me is to know where my family members disappeared. It's important to know those family members. The prosecution had argued for the death penalty for Mackenzie and life imprisonment for his accomplices. But defense lawyer Lawrence Obonyo disagreed, saying that he had already launched an appeal. So we are here and on our part we have already launched an appeal both to the judgment and now we'll deal with the issue of the sentencing here. So the appeal for the judgment is coming up for the direction on 27th of November 2026. And then we also, once we get directions from the court of appeal, we will combine it with the issue of the sentencing. Thank you very much. Thank you. In 2023, more than 400 bodies were exhumed from shallow graves on the 800-acre Chakama Ranch in Kosta Kilifi County, where Mackenzie's followers lived in isolation away from public scrutiny.