Shakahola massacre case:Officer denies early awareness of cult allegations

A police officer faced difficulties while explaining his interactions with the alleged mastermind of the Shakahola massacre, Paul Mackenzie.

Chief Inspector Hamara Hassan, testifying before Mombasa Chief Magistrate Alex Ithuku on Wednesday, provided conflicting information about his knowledge of Mackenzie, including whether he knew him personally and when he became aware of Mackenzie’s suspected crimes in Shakahola Forest.

In his sworn testimony, Hassan, who was the Langobaya Officer Commanding Station (OCS) at the time, stated that he first learned of Mackenzie on April 1, 2023, when deaths were reported in Shakahola Forest. He claimed he was one of the officers involved in the rescue operation.

However, during cross-examination, Mackenzie’s lawyer, Lawrence Obonyo, challenged Hassan’s testimony, alleging that the officer knew Mackenzie as early as 2022.

Obonyo argued that Mackenzie had reported to the Langobaya police station in November 2022, alleging that a woman had falsely accused him of killing his followers.

Obonyo also presented evidence suggesting that Hassan had closely interacted with Mackenzie. He claimed that the owners of the land occupied by Mackenzie, Alfred Mwanze and Daniel Kiasi, had reported Mackenzie’s illegal occupation of their land to Hassan.

Further, Mackenzie’s lawyer claimed that in early 2023, there was an incident where youths from Shakahola Forest clashed with a group of residents from a neighboring area.

Obonyo questioned Hassan about whether he was aware of the situation in Shakahola and whether he refrained from taking action against Mackenzie. “Is it true that you, as the officer in charge of the station, knew what was happening inside Shakahola and did not dare to stop Mackenzie? There was a time you even ordered the arrests of youths involved in the fights,” Obonyo asked.

Obonyo also asked Hassan if he knew the area chief, Raymond Charo, who had reported in November 2022 that bodies of Mackenzie’s followers were being collected by relatives for burial.

In response, Hassan, who is currently serving in Kinango, maintained that he did not know Mackenzie. "Your Honour, I did not know Mackenzie. How would I be afraid of someone I did not know? I only learned of him after a protected witness, HN, came to the station to report that children were being denied food, leading to Mackenzie’s arrest," Hassan stated.

Hassan further claimed that he was on leave when Mackenzie filed a case against a woman who allegedly defamed him by accusing him of killing his followers.

"At the time that particular report was made, I was on my annual leave, and my deputy was in charge," he explained.

Led by state counsel, Hassan recounted how, along with officers from the Directorate of Criminal Investigations in Malindi, he managed to rescue 15 of Mackenzie’s followers after an 8-year-old boy was rescued by his relatives from the forest.

"The 8-year-old told officers that his three siblings had died of starvation. I informed the DCIO since it was a sensitive matter, and he advised that the minor and his relatives be handed over for further investigation. Five days later, a multi-agency team was deployed to the forest," Hassan testified.

Hassan also described the scene upon their arrival in Shakahola. Mackenzie’s guards, who had surrounded the area, fled into the forest upon spotting the police.

"We found armed men hiding around the villages where Mackenzie’s followers lived, but they ran away, leaving behind crude weapons like pangas, clubs, and slashers," he told the court.

He further narrated that when they reached Mackenzie’s residence, his guards fled, leaving Mackenzie behind. "During the raid, Mackenzie was at his house and did not attempt to escape, which led to his arrest," Hassan informed the court.

Mackenzie is facing manslaughter charges alongside several of his accomplices.

The hearing is set to resume on Thursday, with testimony expected from another minor who was allegedly forced to fast in order to "ascend to heaven."