By Peter John
The Director of Public Prosecutions (DPP) has intensified efforts to secure convictions in the Shakahola massacre case, as gripping witness testimonies revealed disturbing doctrines allegedly propagated by controversial preacher Paul Mackenzie.
The evidence unfolded before Justice Diana Kavedza at the Mombasa High Court, where Mackenzie and 29 co-accused are facing charges linked to the deaths of 191 people.
During the hearing, former co-preacher George Mwaura Kiburu took the stand, offering an inside view of the indoctrination he says fueled the tragedy.
Mwaura narrated how Mackenzie steered his followers away from ordinary life and convinced them that a divine journey to heaven awaited them in June 2023.
Mwaura, who worked closely with Mackenzie between 2018 and 2020, told the court that followers were repeatedly discouraged from using government services, including the Huduma Namba card.
He recalled being persuaded to quit his job as a bus driver and give himself fully to Mackenzie’s Good News Church.
His own daughter, he said, dropped out of school to help edit the preacher’s sermons.
According to Mwaura, Mackenzie preached that a holy rapture was imminent and only the faithful would ascend—while the rest of humanity would be left behind.
He said he objected to the radical teachings, which also discredited education and medical services, themes that appeared in video clips played before the court.
A second witness, Bernard Mkalasinga, appeared virtually and recounted the disappearance of his sister, Pamela Muhonja, who left the Holy Spirit Church to join Mackenzie’s movement.
He said she shaved her hair, relocated with her daughter and granddaughter to Shakahola, and severed ties with her family.
Muhonja’s remains were identified through DNA in 2023, but her daughter and granddaughter have never been found.
The Prosecution also presented the testimony of Monica Muvea, who described the drastic transformation of her sister, Felista Kamandi, after joining Mackenzie’s church.
Kamandi, a mother of ten, withdrew her children from school and rejected healthcare, claiming that sickness was “the work of the devil.” Muvea said Kamandi eventually moved to Shakahola, where one of her children later died from starvation.
Kamandi has since been charged with manslaughter.
Strengthening the forensic side of the case, Dr. Donna Nyamanga, a medical doctor and forensic specialist, testified that she examined 211 bodies recovered from Shakahola, helping determine their age and gender as part of the complex identification process.
The hearing continues.
