Harrowing testimonies from two young survivors have brought into sharp focus the horrific experiences endured under the cult-like regime of controversial preacher Paul Mackenzie and his 94 co-accused. The witnesses, both minors, narrated their ordeal before Chief Magistrate Hon. Alex Ithuku at the Shanzu Law Courts, painting a disturbing picture of indoctrination, starvation, and abuse in the remote Shakahola forest.
The case, one of the largest manslaughter prosecutions in Kenya’s history, stems from the 2023 mass deaths of Mackenzie’s followers in Kilifi County. Authorities uncovered mass graves in the forest, eventually exhuming hundreds of bodies in what has since been described as a starvation cult tragedy.
The first witness, a 16-year-old boy identified in court only as SBB for his protection, recalled how his life changed after his mother was influenced by Mackenzie’s televised sermons on Times TV. According to his testimony, she withdrew him from school and sold household possessions to fund their journey to Malindi and eventually to the remote Shakahola forest, referred to by Mackenzie’s followers as Jangwani, or “the wilderness.”
“After we left home, we were held in a tent to prepare us for entry into Shakahola. Then came days without food or water,” he told the court. “We were told fasting would help us reach heaven faster.”
SBB recounted how his mother, under Mackenzie’s influence, denied him food and joined others in physically assaulting him when he attempted to eat after days of hunger. He identified a man known only as Mr. Smart as one of the preacher’s aides who took part in the beatings. “We were told that those resisting fasting were obstacles to our journey to heaven,” he said.
He further explained that deaths were frequent, and each time someone died, gatherings were held where Mackenzie allegedly led prayers before the bodies were buried, ceremonies which were ominously referred to as “weddings,” implying a spiritual union with God.
Mackenzie reportedly used global events such as the Russia-Ukraine war as evidence of the world’s imminent end. He banned followers from seeking medical treatment, using cosmetics, registering for government services like Huduma Number, or attending school, calling them satanic tools of the modern world.
SBB said he eventually escaped after being allowed to leave the tent to relieve himself, fleeing to an area known as Shakahola Madukani, where local elders offered him shelter.
The second witness, a 14-year-old Grade Six pupil identified as EW, corroborated SBB’s claims. Born in Lwanda, EW testified that his family stopped him from attending school after being indoctrinated with Mackenzie’s teachings.
“We were taught that education, Huduma registration, and even cosmetics were ungodly,” he told the court. “My uncle had to lock us inside the house to hide us from the area chief who was inspecting homes to ensure all children were enrolled in school.”
EW recounted travelling with his family to a section of Shakahola known as Bethlehem, where they were subjected to intense prayer sessions and starvation. Like SBB, he confirmed that burials were referred to as “weddings,” and Mackenzie himself regularly addressed gatherings announced through door-to-door messages.
The Office of the Director of Public Prosecutions is working to prove that the mass deaths in Shakahola were not mere religious acts, but the result of criminal negligence and coercion by Mackenzie and his associates. The prosecution argues that the accused used manipulation, threats, and starvation to control followers, leading to the deaths of hundreds, including children.
The two minors’ testimonies, marked by emotional distress and vivid recollections, form part of a broader effort to piece together the events that led to one of the darkest chapters in Kenya’s recent history.
The trial continues tomorrow, with more survivors and expert witnesses expected to take the stand.
Paul Mackenzie, a self-proclaimed pastor and founder of the now-defunct Good News International Church, is at the center of the Shakahola massacre investigation. His arrest in 2023 followed the discovery of mass graves in the forest, believed to hold the bodies of followers who died through forced starvation. Investigators believe Mackenzie preached apocalyptic messages and encouraged followers to starve themselves to “meet Jesus.”
Written By Rodney Mbua
