Shakahola trial hears more harrowing testimonies of starvation and abuse
Government Pathologist Richard Njoroge, who performed post-mortems on four bodies recovered from mass graves in Shakahola, described the grim state of the remains as severe.
The Shakahola massacre trial took a harrowing turn on Tuesday as the prosecution presented further disturbing testimonies against controversial preacher Paul Mackenzie and 35 co-accused persons.
Appearing before the Tononoka Children’s Court, four new witnesses recounted the appalling conditions in which victims were allegedly confined, highlighting cases of starvation, abuse and denial of education.
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The prosecution team, led by Assistant Director of Public Prosecutions Jami Yamina, with Principal Prosecution Counsel Betty Rubia and Counsels Eunice Odongo and Biasha Khalifa, sought to expose the coordinated abuses that took place under Mackenzie’s alleged influence.
Maxwell Kisienya, Director of Bridge International Academy in Lungalunga, testified about a pupil identified as S.B.B., last seen at the school in October 2017. Kisienya said the child had been enrolled for two years but failed to return after being sent home for unpaid fees on October 19, 2017.
“Since then, no transfer request has been submitted, and the child’s whereabouts remain unknown,” he told the court.
Police Constable Joseph Mwai, a Digital Forensics Expert attached to the Anti-Terrorism Police Unit, presented digital evidence recovered from a witness’s mobile phone on January 31, 2024. Using a Universal Forensic Extraction Device, he retrieved four photographs showing severely malnourished individuals. One of the images was time-stamped April 24, 2023, at 12:07 pm.
Government Pathologist Richard Njoroge, who performed post-mortems on four bodies recovered from mass graves in Shakahola, described the grim state of the remains as severe.
“Most bodies were reduced to skeletal remains due to advanced decomposition, making it difficult to determine the cause of death,” he said.
He added that in several instances, extreme loss of body mass relative to height suggested starvation as the likely cause of death. Njoroge also confirmed that teeth, bones and nail samples were collected from all 453 exhumed bodies, with DNA testing helping relatives identify some victims.
Chief Inspector Job Wafula Wanyonyi, among the first responders to the Shakahola forest, recounted the findings of a fact-finding mission on April 13, 2023.
“We found dozens of people confined in makeshift canopies, many too weak to walk or speak,” he said.
A minor, identified as C.A.A., told investigators that they were forced to fast to the point of near death. Despite rescue efforts, four individuals, including two men and two women, died during the operation. Inspector Wafula added that several individuals guarding the area were armed with crude weapons such as rungus and jembes.
The hearing will continue on Wednesday, September 17, with more witnesses expected to take the stand.
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