By Peter John
The Shakahola massacre trial took a deeply emotional turn as the Office of the Director of Public Prosecutions (ODPP) strengthened its case with the testimony of three witnesses who detailed how their lives were torn apart after their loved ones joined Pastor Paul Mackenzie’s Good News Church.
The hearing was conducted virtually before Justice Diana Kavedza at the Mombasa High Court.
The day’s first witness, Abel Kaire Oyalo, testified from Kisii, offering a moving account of how his family changed dramatically after his wife abandoned their Kenya Assemblies of God (KAG) church in Gachie, Kiambu County.
According to Oyalo, his wife’s transformation was abrupt and unsettling, marked by strict adherence to Mackenzie’s doctrines.
He told the court that she altered her appearance and lifestyle, stopped taking their children to school and hospital, and eventually left their Kiambu home with the children without notice.
Oyalo traced her to Shakahola in March 2023, but she refused to return with him, insisting she had embraced a different spiritual path and urging him to “find another wife.” After that confrontation, communication ceased entirely.
His grief resurfaced as he recounted receiving a call years later, informing him that one of his four children—who disappeared alongside their mother—had been identified through DNA analysis. “I recognized my daughter by her teeth,” he said, his voice breaking.
The prosecution then called Julius Mnyambo, the brother of the late accused person, Edison Safari Mnyambo.
Julius explained that Edison, a carpenter from Malindi, had relocated with his family to Shakahola before his eventual arrest. Edison fell ill while in custody and later died at Coast General Hospital.
His body, and that of one of his children recovered from Shakahola, were eventually released to the family for burial.
The third witness, Jackline Mumbe Mary, offered insight into how many unsuspecting individuals were steered into Mackenzie’s teachings.
Mumbe said she moved to Mombasa to live with her sister, Monicah Mary, who gradually influenced her to embrace Mackenzie’s doctrine. At the time, Mumbe was a member of the Africa Inland Church (AIC).
Her sister introduced her to Mackenzie’s sermons aired on Times TV and insisted that practices such as plaiting hair were sinful.
Mumbe said she adopted the teachings, shaved her hair, and briefly joined Mackenzie’s church before eventually leaving due to internal disagreements. Her sister later disappeared and has not been traced to date.
The testimonies added emotional weight to the prosecution’s case, painting a clearer picture of family disintegration, indoctrination, and loss connected to the Shakahola tragedy.
The hearing continues.
