Court clears DPP to pursue 191 murder charges against Paul Mackenzie
That decision, rendered by Lady Justice Mugure Thande, had instructed the DPP to reduce the number of murder charges to a maximum of 12.
The Court of Appeal in Malindi has authorized the Director of Public Prosecutions (DPP) to proceed with 191 murder charges against controversial preacher Paul Mackenzie and his 30 co-accused.
In a ruling delivered today April 11, 2025, a three-judge bench comprising Justice Kibaya Imaana Laibuta, Lady Justice G.W. Ngenye, and Justice Weldon Korir overturned an earlier decision by the High Court issued on May 17, 2024.
That decision, rendered by Lady Justice Mugure Thande, had instructed the DPP to reduce the number of murder charges to a maximum of 12.
The appellate court maintained that there is no legal restriction on the number of charges a suspect can face, affirming that the DPP is within his mandate to pursue all 191 murder counts as originally filed.
The judges determined that the 191 charges stemmed from the same facts and transaction, making their consolidation lawful under Section 135 of the Criminal Procedure Code (CPC).
The court also emphasized the strong public interest in the case and advised Chief Justice Martha Koome to assign a High Court judge to handle the matter on a continuous basis to ensure its swift resolution.
The accused are facing allegations of the joint murder of 191 individuals between January 2021 and September 2023 in the Shakahola region, located in Malindi Sub-County, Kilifi County.
Among the victims were 11 identified children, alongside 82 unidentified male children, 72 unidentified female children, and 26 unidentified minors whose gender could not be determined.