Shakahola Massacre trial opens in Mombasa amid harrowing details of alleged child murders
The case, initially handled at the Malindi High Court, was transferred to Mombasa following a directive by Chief Justice Martha Koome, citing the scale and complexity of the proceedings.
The long-awaited trial over the Shakahola massacre, one of Kenya’s worst mass killings in recent history, has begun at the High Court in Mombasa, with prosecutors describing it as a tragedy that once shook the nation to its core.
Self-proclaimed preacher Paul Mackenzie and 28 co-accused are facing multiple charges, including murder, torture, and manslaughter, in connection with the deaths of 191 children and several adults whose bodies were exhumed from mass graves in Shakahola Forest, Kilifi County, in 2023.
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The case, initially handled at the Malindi High Court, was transferred to Mombasa following a directive by Chief Justice Martha Koome, citing the scale and complexity of the proceedings.
During his opening address, Principal Prosecution Counsel Alex Ndiema told Lady Justice Diana Kavedza Mochache that the matter involves crimes of extraordinary cruelty.
He alleged that the victims, many of them minors, were subjected to starvation, strangulation, and other forms of violence under the influence of cult-like teachings.
According to the prosecution, the accused include parents, community leaders, and religious figures, pointing to what Ndiema described as a collective participation in the atrocities.
He revealed that the investigation, which spanned several months, involved interviewing hundreds of witnesses and gathering what he called tons of evidence, unearthing details that were nothing short of horrifying.
The Shakahola massacre came to light in April 2023 after police raided the remote forest, acting on reports of followers of Mackenzie’s Good News International Church allegedly being coerced to fast to death in the belief that they would meet Jesus.
The incident sparked a national and international outcry, prompting calls for tighter regulation of religious institutions.
Prosecutors urged the court to ensure justice for the victims, insisting that accountability was necessary for the souls of the children and other victims to continue resting in peace.
The trial is expected to draw significant public attention, given the scale of the tragedy and the disturbing allegations surrounding the deaths.
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