The trial of controversial preacher Paul Nthege Mackenzie and 93 co-accused resumed this week, as prosecutors began presenting more witnesses in the ongoing case surrounding the Shakahola massacre that shocked Kenya and the world.
Prosecution was led by Assistant DPP, Jami Yamina, Prosecution Counsel Yassir Mohammed, plus Principal Prosecution Counsels Alex Ndiema, Betty Rubia and Victor Owiti.
Testifying virtually, Brenda Muhati Mwaura, the 46th prosecution witness, offered a chilling account of life inside the Good News International (GNI)church under Mackenzie’s leadership.
The 26-year-old, daughter of Pastor John Mwaura, a senior cleric who once worked closely with Mackenzie, described how the church’s radical doctrines evolved into a cult-like movement that rejected education, employment, and medical care.
The witness told the court that her family joined GNI when she was about 13 and that the church operated two branches in Makongeni, Nairobi, and Malindi.
She added that Mackenzie declared hospitals and schools ungodly, warning followers to “abandon worldly distractions and prepare for the coming of Jesus.” Her father, she said, reinforced these teachings, forcing her to drop out of school in Form Two.
The family later moved to Malindi, where Mackenzie frequently cited this witness as an example of a “faithful believer” who had forsaken education for God.
At the church, the witness worked as a camera operator for Times TV, GNI’s media wing that produced DVDs of Mackenzie’s apocalyptic sermons.
She recounted how several youths, including Sidi Smart and Michael Mweriwere hired as editors after abandoning school.
At 18, she broke away from the church, realizing she had been manipulated. Years later, after learning that followers were starving in the Shakahola Forest, she posted a public warning on Facebook and tagged the Directorate of Criminal Investigations (DCI) page, a post that prompted threats from church members.
“Two people called me, one claimed to be a Kenya Defence Forces (KDF) soldier warning me to stop talking about the church. I feared for my life,” she said. She later recorded a statement with the DCI. The witness told court that Mackenzie sold church assets, including vehicles and recording equipment, before the cult’s collapse.
“I was terrified. I saw it coming,” she said, noting her father eventually cut ties with Mackenzie. Her testimony was followed by that of Sergeant Joseph Yator, a DCI officer who was among the first to investigate the tragedy. Yator recounted being called by his superiors in Malindi on the 20th of March 2023, to meet three adults and a malnourished boy rescued from the forest.
The child said his parents, Issack Ngala and Emily Kahunga, forced him and his siblings to fast after instructions from Mackenzie. Two of the children died from starvation and suffocation, prompting their grandfather to alert police.
Following a rescue operation, Mackenzie was arrested on 22nd March 2023, but initially released on a KSh.10,000 bail. Investigators later rescued 15 more victims — four of whom died — and arrested several suspects, including Robert Kahindi Katana, Alfred Asena, and Stephen Muye. Yator presented 89 photographsin court showing evidence recovered from the forest, including pamphlets, CDs, and books promoting Mackenzie’s extremist teachings.
He also revealed that Mackenzie had previously filed a defamation complaint against Brenda in November 2022, accusing her of claiming online that he was “burying people in the bush” — an allegation later proven true.
The court also heard from Dr. Laurence Nderi, CEO of Mathari Teaching and Referral Hospital, who led mental evaluations for 31 accused persons, including Mackenzie. Dr. Nderi confirmed that all were mentally fit to stand trial, except one who was initially found to have a major disorder but later declared fit after treatment.
The Shakahola massacre, which claimed hundreds of lives, remains one of Kenya’s deadliest cult tragedies. The trial continues, with Prosecution expected to call more witnesses in the coming weeks.
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