Shakahola massacre: Court hears chilling testimonies of alleged torture as Mackenzie, associates face child abuse charges

The case against controversial preacher Paul Nthenge Mackenzie and 38 others resumed at the Tononoka Children’s Court in Mombasa on Tuesday, with the court hearing fresh details of alleged torture and cruelty inflicted upon children linked to the Good News International Church (GNI).

Mackenzie, accused of leading the deadly Shakahola cult, and his co-accused are facing multiple child-related offences stemming from years of alleged indoctrination, denial of basic rights, and extreme neglect.

Taking the witness stand, Helen Mwikali Kimwele, who manages the Mayungu Children’s Centre in Malindi, recalled receiving 43 children in 2017 who had been rescued from GNI-affiliated families.

Under court orders, the children were placed in her care due to serious concerns about their well-being.

She informed the court that the children, aged between four and 13 years, had been denied education and medical treatment, presenting an admission register with their personal details, some matching the identities of the accused.

Kimwele added that despite a Malindi court securing plea agreements with parents who committed to schooling the children and seeking treatment for the sick, most of the minors later vanished.

They are now believed to be among the victims of the 2022 Shakahola massacre, in which scores of bodies were recovered from shallow graves in Kilifi County.

The court heard that some children who lived through the ordeal, including starvation, denial of healthcare, and other abuses, have since come forward to testify against their parents, revealing shocking details of life under the GNI sect.

One protected witness, a social worker from the children’s centre appearing as the 24th prosecution witness, recalled how in May 2019, Gilbert Khea, one of the accused, reclaimed his son using a court order and a letter from a lawyer.

“He signed the exit forms, promising to keep us updated on the child’s progress,” the witness told the court.

Despite assurances, the centre lost contact with the family after Khea’s phone was switched off.

In a striking revelation, the same boy reappeared at the rescue centre nearly four years later on March 25, 2023, having fled the Shakahola forest.

The social worker said the teenager arrived exhausted and emaciated after cycling through the night to safety.

“We immediately notified the authorities, readmitted him, and started psychosocial support,” the witness testified, adding that the boy recounted the horrors he endured in the forest, including the death of his younger brother from starvation.

Another emotional account came from a private school principal, who testified that a GNI follower had abruptly withdrawn his two sons from school and relocated them to Shakahola. The boys have not been seen since.

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• associates face child abuse charges

As the trial proceeds, the prosecution is expected to present more witnesses in the coming days, shedding further light on the extent of the alleged crimes committed against minors under Mackenzie’s influence.

In April, the Court of Appeal in Malindi reinstated 191 murder charges against controversial preacher Paul Mackenzie, marking a major legal setback. The charges stem from the deaths of over 450 members of his Good News International Church in the Shakahola massacre.