The family of controversial Kenyan cult leader Paul Mackenzie has expressed disappointment with the 200-year prison sentence handed down against him, questioning its practicality and describing it as excessive.
Speaking a day after the judgement, family members said the sentence was difficult to comprehend, arguing that no human being could live long enough to serve a 200-year jail term.
Francis Musyoka Kimende, Mackenzie's maternal uncle, termed the sentence unfair, suggesting that the judge may have been influenced by emotions while delivering the ruling.
Kimende maintained that Mackenzie did not personally kill anyone, claiming that his followers voluntarily refused to eat, leading to the deaths witnessed in the Shakahola tragedy.
He questioned how one individual could have been responsible for the deaths of so many people, further wondering why the country's intelligence agencies failed to detect the activities that were taking place.
Kimende argued that the average human lifespan was approximately 100 years, making a 200-year sentence appear unrealistic. He suggested that the court's decision might have been influenced by anger rather than a consideration of the practical implications of the punishment.
The maternal uncle said the family would convene a meeting to deliberate on the judgement and explore the possibility of appealing the sentence.
Mackenzie's paternal uncle, Jacob Samuka Kisini, also expressed shock and sadness, questioning whether the sentence could realistically be served.
Kisini said he was struggling to understand how a person could be expected to serve 200 years in prison, adding that the sentence appeared excessive given the limits of human life.
He also questioned the circumstances surrounding Mackenzie's involvement in the cult, describing him as an obedient boy who grew up alongside his children.
However, he suggested that peer pressure and other influences might have contributed to Mackenzie's eventual involvement in the controversial religious movement.
Kisini appealed to Mackenzie's legal team to challenge the sentence, saying the family would welcome a reduced prison term.
His wife, Joyce Kanini, similarly expressed disbelief over the judgement, recalling that Mackenzie had grown up alongside their children.
Kanini appealed to the government to consider the family's concerns and listen to their plea for a reduction of the sentence.
The family members, who hail from Ikalaasa Village in Kibauni Location, Mwala Sub-County, Machakos County, maintained that they were still coming to terms with the severity of the punishment.
Mackenzie was sentenced to 200 years in prison over his role in the Shakahola massacre, one of Kenya's worst tragedies, in which hundreds of people died after being subjected to extreme religious teachings and starvation under the guise of fasting.
