Chilling tale of deception, betrayal and deaths for victims of Shakahola rituals

As the courtroom in Shanzu buzzed with the usual murmur of legal proceedings, a sudden stillness enveloped the room. All eyes were riveted on the witness at the stand, a 36-year-old man whose calm exterior belied the harrowing tale he was about to tell.

Everyone in the room, from the judge to the audience, felt the weight of his impending testimony, a narrative that would bring to light a chilling story of betrayal and loss.

The trial of Paul Nthenge Mackenzie, the leader of Good News International Church, commonly known as the Shakahola cult, and who is the alleged mastermind of the tragic events in Shakahola forest, took a grim turn as a key state witness recounted the harrowing experience of being manipulated into starving his daughter and wife to death.

The testimony before Shanzu Principal Magistrate Leah Juma painted a chilling picture of deception and despair, revealing the depths of Mackenzie's influence over his followers.

The witness, whose identity is protected, began by detailing his initial acquaintance with Mackenzie in 2012 or 2013 while working as a boda boda rider in Malindi. Mackenzie was then a taxi driver operating from the Uhuru Garden area of Malindi.

The witness said Mackenzie captivated him with his teachings which resonated with his staunch Christian upbringing.

Drawn to Mackenzie's charismatic sermons, he began attending services at the church in Malindi's Furunzi area, eventually becoming the youth treasurer and keyboard player.

Paul Mackenzie (centre) the prime suspect in the Shakahola massacre at the Mombasa Law Courts on February 20, 2024. (Photo: Farhiya Hussein)

"I recall accompanying the pastor to Watamu, Mlolongo, and Ruiru for open-air preaching sessions around 2016. I also learned that Pastor Mackenzie had opened a television station called Times TV," the witness said.

Lure victims

He further told the court that Mackenzie would lure his victims by telling them he was selling an acre of land for just Sh1,000.

"On Sundays, he would inform his congregants that there was land that he was selling in Shakahola at a throw-away price. The exercise began in 2021. As a tuk-tuk driver and a close ally of Mackenzie, l was in charge of transporting the victims to Shakahola forest," he said.

The witness broke down as he narrated to the court how he eventually settled on his two-acre farm after buying it at a cost of Sh2,000. He later starved his daughter to death in the name of hastening her death so that she could go to heaven.

"When Mackenzie shared the ideology of fasting, it soon picked up pace within Shakahola forest and, soon, when the number of those who had died because of fasting began increasing, we stopped our meetings under the trees and we would be addressed at funeral gatherings they termed as "harusi" (wedding)," he said.

He informed the court that one of his children was the first to die and that during the burial, she was referred to as a "shujaa" (a heroine).

"Every time we attended a funeral, the deceased were referred to as shujaa who were celebrating with the angels," he told the court.

Search team members collect a body found in a grave in the Shakahola Forest in Kilifi County on June 3, 2024. (Photo: Farhiya Hussein/EV)

After that, the people present would be asked to continue fasting.

The witness informed the court that at first, he was hesitant to deny his daughter food. However, as children began dying in big numbers and he continued to attend the burials, he was questioned on why his children were not committed to fasting.

In February 2023, he bowed to the mounting pressure and forced his daughter to fast, which was commonly known as "kupanda mlima" (climbing the mountain). The child died on March 15, 2023.

He described the heart-wrenching process of wrapping his daughter's body in a leso for burial.

"The burial, conducted within my homestead, was presided over by Julius from the Judea area, one of the accused persons. My family resided in Bethlehem," he said.

Evade police

After the death of his daughter, his wife also began fasting. Within a week of not eating, she moved to the makeshift fasting canopies in Tiro area to evade police who had invaded the forest to rescue the victims.

The witness' testimony provided a detailed account of how Mackenzie systematically isolated his followers from their families and communities, creating a tightly controlled environment where his word was law. His narrative underscored the psychological manipulation and coercion that drove many to their deaths.

Some of the 95 suspects in the Shakahola massacre appear at the Shanzu Law Courts in Mombasa County on March 13, 2024. (Photo: Farhiya Hussein)

Mackenzie's promises of salvation through suffering resonated deeply with his followers, many of whom were vulnerable and seeking spiritual guidance.

The promise of cheap land in Shakahola, coupled with the allure of a closer communion with the divine, proved to be a powerful draw. Once ensnared in Mackenzie's web, followers found themselves cut off from external influences, their lives revolving entirely around the alleged cult's activities.

The court heard that Mackenzie's influence extended beyond spiritual manipulation. His control over his followers' properties, including the sale of land and transportation to Shakahola, cemented his authority.

Those who questioned his teachings or failed to adhere to the rigorous fasting regimen faced social ostracism and intense peer pressure.

As the trial continues, the court is expected to hear more testimonies shedding light on the extent of Mackenzie's alleged crimes and the suffering endured by his followers.

The witness' harrowing account of loss and deception is a testament to the profound impact Mackenzie's teachings had on the lives of his followers. It not only provides crucial evidence in the case against Mackenzie but also highlights the need for greater awareness and intervention to prevent similar tragedies in the future.