Paul Mackenzie: Court Threatens To Free Controversial Preacher Over State's Delayed Prosecution

• The court in Malindi has compelled the state to charge controversial preacher Paul Mackenzie as soon as possible
• The Good News International Church founder would be let free if no charges were preferred against him, the state prosecution was directed
• Mackenzie in whose church hundreds of faithful died of starvation is facing charges related to terrorism and murder

Paul Mackenzie might leverage the state's tardiness in prosecuting his matter in court to get freedom.

The court threatened to release the controversial cleric together with his associates should the state prosecution fail to charge them in the next 14 days.

Why Mackenzie might walk to his freedom

Mackenzie is the founder of the Good News International church in which hundreds of faithful died due to starvation.

The state's prayer to the court to have them detained further for 180 days was declined.

He is facing charges related to inhuman perpetrations, among them terrorism and murder.

This came days after the preacher was jailed for a year after being found guilty of producing video content without a license

The court had previously established that the preacher had a case to answer over his possession and distribution of film materials without the approval of the Kenya Films Classification Board (KFCB).

The count was among two others the controversial cleric was charged with, including inciting the public to disobey the law. P

Mackenzie was accused of using the cinematographic films in his custody to incite children in his Good News International Church against attending school and Christians against other faiths like Hindus and Muslims.

Mackenzie sentenced to prison

In the Friday, December 1, 2023, ruling, Malindi Senior Resident Magistrate Olga Onalo also slapped the cleric with a six-month jail term for showing the films to the public without an operating license.

Onalo dismissed Mackenzie's defence that he did not know there was a need for a license, adding that ignorance of the law is no defence.

"In respect to count two, I hereby sentence the accused person to twelve months imprisonment while in respect to count three, the accused person’s explanation of not knowing the need for a license from the Kenya Film Classification Board (KFCB) having obtained a broadcasting one is a reasonable though not entirely acceptable as ignorance of the law is no defence hence the resulting conviction and in light of the same, I sentence the accused to six months imprisonment,” the magistrate read.

The offences the Kilifi cult leader faced attracted a jail term of not more than a year and an alternative fine not exceeding KSh 100,000, but the Probation Officer in the case told the court to deny Mackenzie a fine.