The Mombasa Magistrate Court granted Paul Mackenzie and his wife, Rhodah Mumbua, permission to meet under strict supervision within the confines of the Shimo La Tewa prison.
Chief Magistrate Alex Ithuku, presiding over the case in which Mackenzie and 94 co-accused face a total of 238 counts of manslaughter, on Thursday afternoon allowed Mackenzie’s plea for a meeting with his spouse and children to discuss family matters.
Through his advocate Lawrence Obonyo, Mackenzie mentioned that he must address matters concerning their children and requested sufficient time to meet his wife, who is also facing similar manslaughter charges.
“They are a couple, with children. Mackenzie has instructed me to request the court to issue an order for the prison authorities to allow him to meet his wife. They want to discuss issues about their children,” said the lawyer.
The magistrate agreed with the lawyer’s suggestion and directed the prison authorities to facilitate this. Mr. Ithuku also pressed the prison authorities to treat Mackenzie with humanity.
“I see no objections on the part of the state. They need to make some decisions around their children and family. I hereby issue orders to Shimo La Tewa to facilitate the meeting between Mackenzie and his wife,” Ithuku ruled.
At the same time, the court summoned the officer in charge of Shimo La Tewa prison to assist with Mackenzie’s request for a cell transfer.
Simultaneously, the prosecution has been granted additional time to organize exhibits and witness statements related to the Shakahola manslaughter case.
Chief Magistrate Ithuku approved the prosecution’s request to separate these materials from other evidence pertaining to three additional cases involving Mackenzie and his co-accused.
The prosecution team informed the court that they needed two weeks to meticulously arrange the exhibits and statements according to each specific case.
Furthermore, it was agreed that each of the three defense counsels would receive a copy of the prosecution’s exhibits and testimonies for their respective clients.
The court will mention the case on May 13th.