A Malindi Court sentenced alleged cult leader Paul MacKenzie to a year in prison on Friday for operating a filming studio without a proper license.The Probation Office suggested that Mackenzie be refused the option of paying a fine.
According to the probation report, Mackenzie was convicted and fined for a similar offense in criminal case no. 182 of 2017.
Mackenzie, who is now being jailed at Shimo la Tewa Prison for previous offenses, including the death of over 429 people at Shakahola, was sentenced to extra six months in prison for possessing and displaying films to the public via Times TV without a license.
According to the probation report, Mackenzie was convicted and fined for a similar offense in criminal case no. 182 of 2017.
Mackenzie’s offenses are punishable by up to a year in prison and a fine of no more than Sh100,000.
Mackenzie was accused in 2019 with possessing and distributing films to the general public that had not been inspected and categorized by the Kenya Film Classification Board.Mackenzie was convicted guilty of the charges by Malindi Senior Resident Magistrate Olga Onalo last month.
“In respect to count two, I hereby sentence the accused person to twelve months imprisonment, while in respect to count three, I sentence the accused to six months imprisonment,” Onalo said in a statement.
According to court records, the KFCB learned about Mackenzie’s activities in 2019 after being warned by the Kilifi County Commissioner and other security organs following a public uproar.
A sampling of confiscated media supplied to it by the DCI revealed common themes ranging from propaganda, misrepresentation of facts, vulgar language, vulgarity, and negative portrayal of particular religious and societal practices.The board also stated that Mackenzie remained a threat to vulnerable and unwary members of the public, and that the risk of damage should be a legitimate concern.