Kenyan religious sect leader Paul Mackenzie was sentenced to 200 years in prison on Friday, at the culmination of a trial following the discovery of hundreds of corpses in the woods.
A self-proclaimed pastor and longstanding leader of a new age Christian apocalyptic cult called the Good News International Church, Mackenzie was convicted in October of 191 counts of murder in the deaths of one adult and 190 children.
Justice Diana Kavedza said the sentence was comprised of 100 years for 183 counts of murder by starvation and another 100 years for eight counts of murder by direct homicide.
He could have faced the death penalty, which is still technically on the books in Kenya.
However, like several countries that have kept capital punishment in their legal code but stopped actually using it, Kenya has not executed anybody since 1987.
While the charges against Mackenzie pertained to 191 deaths, some 400 people were found dead in what became known as the “Shakahola Forest Massacre.” Mackenzie’s so-called church had been operating since 2003, based in the coastal town of Malindi.
Mackenzie had denied the charges, saying that he did not force the cult followers to starve.
A total of 28 accomplices were given various prison sentences for their roles in the deaths.
This is a developing story, more to follow…
Source: www.dw.com
