Shakahola Case: Paul Mackenzie and 30 Others to Know Fate on October 19

The long-running Shakahola murder trial involving preacher Paul Mackenzie and 30 co-accused is set to reach a major milestone later this month after the court revised its judgment date. The Malindi High Court has scheduled the ruling for Monday, October 19, 2026, at 9am at the Mombasa Law Courts.

The new date was communicated through a notice issued on October 9 by Lady Justice Diana Kavedza-Mochache. The judgment had initially been scheduled for October 16, but the court subsequently changed the date.

191 Murder Charges at the Centre of Trial

Mackenzie and his co-accused are facing 191 counts of murder connected to the deaths of children whose bodies were recovered from Shakahola Forest in Kilifi County. The alleged offences are said to have occurred between January 2021 and September 2023.

According to court documents, the charges concern 11 identified children and another 180 whose identities have not been established. The court is expected to determine the case after examining the evidence presented during the trial and the defence proceedings.

Court Found Case to Answer in April

The trial took a significant step on April 15, 2026, when Justice Kavedza-Mochache ruled that the prosecution had established a prima facie case against the accused. The ruling required them to enter their defence under Section 211 of the Criminal Procedure Code.

During the prosecution stage, 121 witnesses were called to testify. Evidence presented included postmortem reports, expert testimony and findings prepared by government analysts.

The defence was then required to respond to the prosecution's case before the court could reach its final determination. The upcoming judgment will establish the court's findings on the charges before it.

Appeal Court Allowed All 191 Counts to Proceed

The number of charges has been a subject of legal dispute throughout the proceedings. The defence had challenged the charge sheet, arguing that the number of counts and their particulars could undermine the accused persons' right to a fair trial.

In April 2025, the Court of Appeal overturned an earlier High Court order that had directed a reduction in the number of murder charges. That decision allowed the prosecution to proceed with all 191 counts.

The October 19 judgment will be closely watched because of the scale of the Shakahola case and the number of deaths involved. However, the accused persons remain entitled to the protections of a fair trial, and the court's decision will determine the legal outcome of the charges.