By Faith Mwende
The Shanzu Law Courts on Wednesday heard shocking revelations that controversial preacher Paul Mackenzie secretly ate while in police custody, even as his followers continued fasting, believing their hunger strike would earn them divine help in their criminal case.
Testifying before Principal Magistrate Leah Juma, Assistant Superintendent of Police (ASP) Noor Abdi, who formerly headed the Malindi Police Station, told the court that Mackenzie and several of his co-accused were detained between June 6 and June 14, 2023.
During that period, 15 suspects reportedly went for eight days without food, claiming they were fasting for spiritual intervention.
“Your honour, we separated Mackenzie from the rest of the suspects, and an informer later told us that he ate secretly so his followers would not find out,” Abdi testified.
The officer added that the suspects became extremely weak from the prolonged fast and refused medical attention when taken to hospital, maintaining that their refusal to eat was part of their faith.
He also presented police communications that had been sent to senior commanders, documenting the mass hunger strike among the detained Shakahola cult followers.
The prosecution also produced several witnesses, including Alex Tsofia, an excavator operator who revealed that Mackenzie had hired him to dig a dam in Shakahola, Kilifi County. Tsofia said he worked at the site for two weeks.
Engineer Fredrick Ako from the National Water Harvesting and Storage Authority also testified, explaining that the structure built in Shakahola was not an irrigation dam as initially thought but a water harvesting pan.
His assessment showed that it had a capacity of 18,851.6 cubic metres — enough to supply water to about 1,090 people throughout the year.
A follow-up inspection by the authority confirmed that the excavation was strictly for water collection, with no signs of irrigation or livestock use. Depending on rainfall, the dam could serve up to 16,498 people for three months.
In one of the most emotional moments in court, witness Stephen Mwiti recounted how his wife became consumed by Mackenzie’s teachings, eventually abandoning their home with their five children while pregnant with their sixth.
“I used to walk around with the TV remote in my pocket to stop her from watching his sermons, but it didn’t work,” Mwiti told the court.
He later learned that his wife and all six children had disappeared in Shakahola. Only one of the rescued children was later confirmed to be his through DNA testing.
When asked if he would reconcile with his wife, Mwiti said he had left the matter to the court, saying his only desire was for justice to be served.
