Mackenzie faces six more cases after landmark 200-year prison sentence

The Office of the Director of Public Prosecutions (ODPP) is prosecuting another six cases in various courts against the cult leader, who was handed a landmark 200-year prison sentence.

As the country processes the major milestone, legal battles against Mackenzie and his co-accused continue across multiple courts, with several judgments expected in the coming days.

While the recent murder conviction dealt with the direct loss of life, the state's primary legal battle remains the High Court terrorism case.

Under Sections 4, 4A and 5 of the Prevention of Terrorism Act, Mackenzie and 94 co-defendants face charges relating to organised criminal activity, radicalisation and facilitating terrorist acts.

The prosecution's charge sheet alleges that the Good News International Church was used to establish a systematic framework that encouraged followers to starve themselves to death.

Investigators identified camps bearing biblical names such as Judea and Jerusalem, where religious teachings were allegedly used to enforce compliance among followers.

Judgment in the terrorism case is scheduled for the 26th of this month at the Shanzu Law Courts.

Another major case is being handled at the Tononoka Children's Court in Mombasa, where Mackenzie faces 17 counts under the Children Act and the Prevention of Torture Act.

The charges relate to the alleged systematic abuse of minors, with the prosecution arguing that Mackenzie's televised and written teachings, which reportedly described formal education and healthcare as satanic, contributed to the torture, neglect and physical degradation of children.

The case also addresses alleged violations of the Children Act and the Basic Education Act involving surviving children from Shakahola.

Mackenzie and his co-accused are expected to know their fate on these charges on the 25th of this month, when the court delivers its verdict.

Beyond terrorism and offences against children, the Chief Magistrate's Court is handling 238 counts of manslaughter.

The case relates to deaths among the more than 429 bodies exhumed from Shakahola, with prosecutors linking the deaths to alleged unlawful omissions and criminal negligence.

The prosecution argues that Mackenzie and other leaders assumed control over hundreds of followers but failed to provide them with basic necessities, resulting in their deaths.

Judgment in the manslaughter case is scheduled for the 27th of this month at the Shanzu Law Courts.

The ODPP says Mackenzie's alleged cult activities extended beyond Shakahola. Under the Kwa Binzaro extension case, he and seven others face additional murder charges over 52 bodies discovered at an auxiliary homestead.

The prosecution alleges that the crimes were coordinated while Mackenzie was already in state custody.

A total of 58 witnesses have testified in the case, with another 25 expected to take the stand over two weeks in January next year.

Mackenzie also faces manslaughter, organised crime and radicalisation charges linked to the Kwa Binzaro case.

Friday's 200-year prison sentence marks a major milestone in the Shakahola investigations, but the remaining cases mean the legal proceedings against Mackenzie and his co-accused are far from over.

If convicted, Mackenzie and his co-accused could face life imprisonment for the manslaughter, murder and terrorism charges, and up to 20 years in prison for offences under the children's case.