Written by Kelly Were
TONONOKA, KENYA — Gripping and emotional testimonies filled the Tononoka Law Courts today as the trial of controversial preacher Paul Mackenzie and his 38 co-accused continued, shedding disturbing light on the horrors allegedly endured inside the Shakahola forest.
The court session, part of an ongoing case that has shocked the nation, featured three prosecution witnesses who shared chilling accounts of abuse, manipulation, and the psychological devastation wrought by Mackenzie’s suspected doomsday cult.
The charges center on the forced withdrawal of children from school, torture, and the mysterious disappearance of family members.
A child therapist, serving as the 47th prosecution witness, delivered heart-wrenching details of her work with children rescued from the forest.
She focused on one young boy whose mental state reflected deep trauma.
Speaking under oath, the therapist explained how the Child PTSD Symptom Scale (CPSS) was used to assess the boy’s condition.
“The child expressed deep distress when recalling the events in Shakahola,” she told the court. “He suffered physical abuse, including beatings, and was plagued by immense psychological trauma. He eventually fled the forest, risking everything to escape to the nearest shopping center.”
She emphasized that the boy was terrified of being returned to Shakahola and recommended a secure, nurturing environment for his recovery, along with continued emotional support due to his ongoing fear and concern for missing family members.
The trial took a further emotional turn as Mr. Zadock Odiaho, father to one of the missing men, Wilfred Mulama, testified.
According to Odiaho, Mulama and his wife Sara pulled their children out of school and began preaching to neighbors that education was sinful.
“I pleaded with them,” Odiaho said, his voice breaking. “They told me school was no longer necessary. Mulama was later sentenced to probation for failing to educate the children but disappeared with his family shortly afterward. I never saw them again.”
He later learned that his grandson had been found in the forest, severely beaten and unable to walk. Authorities rescued the boy and took him into custody.
Odiaho’s account was corroborated by the 49th prosecution witness, Deborah, mother of Wilfred Mulama.
She testified that the entire family liquidated all their belongings before vanishing.
“They sold everything—goats, bed, utensils—and left,” she recounted. “One of the grandchildren was ill, but they refused to take him to the hospital, believing it was a sin. We tried to convince them to return the children to school. We even asked how their pastor could preach if he himself never went to school.”
The case continues tomorrow, with more witnesses expected to testify.
Prosecutors Peter Kiprop, Jami Yamina, Victor Owiti, Betty Rubia, Biasha Khalifa, and Eunice Odongo are leading the legal effort to bring justice to the survivors and families affected by what has become one of Kenya’s most shocking criminal cases in recent memory.
