By Andrew Kariuki
The trial of Paul Nthege Mackenzie and 93 co-accused persons continued today at the Mombasa Law Courts, with the prosecution presenting a series of witnesses in the case involving 283 counts of manslaughter linked to the Shakahola tragedy.
Among those who took the stand was Sergeant Benson Ingosi, a senior scene of crime documentation officer, who detailed his role at the Shakahola forest following reports that followers of the Good News International Church were fasting in the area and being buried in shallow graves.
Sergeant Ingosi told the court that he travelled to the scene alongside the Officer Commanding Station (OCS) from Lango Mbaya Police Station.
Upon arrival, they found several individuals living in makeshift structures covered with canopies and surrounded by thorny branches.
He documented the scene through photographs, capturing the shelters, bedding, houses believed to have been occupied by the victims, and images of bodies recovered from the area.
The officer further testified that some individuals found at the scene were in a critical condition, unconscious and unable to communicate.
The prosecution also presented testimony from Anthony Wambugu, a senior engineer with Telecom Kenya specialising in phone data analysis.
He informed the court that he was tasked with analysing 16 mobile phone numbers and 10 IMEI numbers connected to the investigation.
Wambugu explained that his analysis covered registration details, call data records, mobile money transactions under TCash, and links between devices and users.
He told the court that 15 of the numbers were registered with Telecom Kenya, while two were associated with TCash services. He subsequently compiled and submitted a report of his findings to investigators.
In addition to expert testimony, the court heard emotional accounts from family members who lost loved ones in the Shakahola incident, with some testifying virtually.
Jembe Justus Chengo, 39, told the court that she lost both her sister and her eight-year-old child, who had been followers of the church.
Another witness, Silvano Ambakwa, recounted the loss of his younger brother, a father of five.
He told the court that his brother had joined the Good News International Church at its Lwanda branch and later started his own ministry.
According to Ambakwa, his brother had been away from home for nearly two years before briefly returning, only to leave again without informing the family.
The court also heard from Mama Ruth Kadzo Kahindi, who identified herself as the mother of Mary Kadzo and mother-in-law to Smart Mwakalama, both of whom are among the accused.
She told the court that she had previously been a member of the church but was expelled by Mackenzie after disagreements. She added that she is unaware of the whereabouts of her grandchildren.
The prosecution is expected to continue calling witnesses as it builds its case against Mackenzie and his co-accused in connection with the deaths linked to the Shakahola forest.
