Shakahola father seeks life sentence after losing his entire family
MOMBASA — Stephen Mwiti Joseph, whose six children are presumed dead following Kenya’s Shakahola tragedy, wants convicted preacher Paul Mackenzie imprisoned for life. His appeal, featured by Al Jazeera, comes as families await sentencing after a court found Mackenzie guilty of murder.
Mackenzie and 28 others were convicted on 19 October over the deaths of 190 children and one adult. Sentencing is scheduled for 6 November, while a lawyer representing the group has said they intend to appeal.
A family’s search for answers
Mwiti’s account of losing his children predates the verdict. Speaking to Kenya’s Standard newspaper in 2023, he said his wife disappeared with their children while he was away working. She had followed Mackenzie’s teachings for years and was pregnant when she left. Mwiti said he subsequently learned that the baby born after her departure had also died.
Kenya’s Directorate of Criminal Investigations later documented his efforts to find the family. Its account describes Mwiti travelling into Shakahola with a friend, carrying family photographs and asking Mackenzie where his children were. He later submitted DNA samples to help identify remains.
Convictions follow years of investigation
Police uncovered mass graves in Shakahola Forest in 2023, with more than 400 bodies eventually recovered. The murder convictions concern 191 victims, rather than the full number of people found during the wider investigation.
The case has also raised questions about earlier failures to intervene. Kenya’s National Commission on Human Rights criticised the authorities’ response, noting that Mackenzie continued operating after his arrest on radicalisation-related allegations in 2017. President William Ruto has acknowledged that government agencies should have prevented the deaths.
Mwiti’s demand for lifelong imprisonment is a bereaved father’s position, not a sentence already imposed. The court’s next decision will determine the punishment for the convicted defendants, with an appeal also expected.
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