Judgment Day Pushed- Paul Mackenzie To Know Fate Over Shakahola Deaths

The Malindi High Court has rescheduled the judgment date in the high-profile murder trial of cult leader Paul Mackenzie and 30 co-accused to Monday, October 19, 2026, at 9:00 AM.

In an official notice dated October 9, Lady Justice Diana Kavedza-Mochache confirmed that the ruling—originally scheduled for October 16—will now be delivered at the Mombasa Law Courts.

“Take Notice that under the direction of Hon. Lady Justice Diana Kavedza-Mochache, the Judgement date for Case no. E003 of 2024 has been moved to 19th October 2026 at 9:00am at Mombasa Law Courts,” the notice reads.

191 Counts of Murder

In the trial (Case No. E003 of 2024), Mackenzie and his followers face 191 murder counts connected to the deaths of children whose bodies were exhumed from mass graves in Shakahola Forest, Kilifi County. The alleged offenses were committed between January 2021 and September 2023.

Court records indicate that the Office of the Director of Public Prosecutions (ODPP) charged the group in connection with the deaths of 11 identified children and 180 unidentified children.

On April 15, 2026, Justice Kavedza ruled that the prosecution had established a prima facie case, placing all 31 accused persons on their defense pursuant to Section 211 of the Criminal Procedure Code. The state relied on testimony from 121 witnesses, supported by postmortem findings, expert opinions, and reports from government analysts.

The proceedings followed a prolonged legal battle over the charge sheet. Defense counsel had previously argued that prosecuting 191 counts simultaneously risked violating the accused’s constitutional right to a fair trial. However, in April 2025, the Court of Appeal set aside an earlier High Court order that sought to reduce the number of counts, allowing the full 191-count indictment to proceed to trial.