A prosecution witness on Tuesday has detailed down an account on how the preacher, Paul Mackenzie used Bible verses and scriptures to justify deadly fasting.

Mackenzie allegedly manipulated quotes from the Bible to convince his followers to engage in a deadly fast.

Testifying before Shanzu Law Courts Principal Magistrate Leah Juma, witness told the court how Mackenzie loved to use Book of Revelation, chapter 13:11 to justify his wrong teachings. In Mackenzie’s breakdown of the scripture, it was about a pregnant woman fleeing into the wilderness for 1, 260 days a seven headed dragon.

According to the witness, Mackenzie gave the ancient text a dangerous, self-serving meaning to just meet his interests.

How Mackenzie Allegedly Analyzed the Book of Revelation chapter 13:11

In Mackenzie’s sermon, he taught his congregant that the seven-headed dragon represents Satan and his agents, whom he called wamataifa and worldly powers.

In his breakdown, he said that pregnant woman, symbolized his church and its faithful, the wateule or chosen ones.

The child in the vision stood for their faith, while the wilderness was none other than the remote Shakahola forest in Kilifi County, where Mackenzie’s followers retreated after he shut down his Furunzi church.

The witness further explained how Mackenzie interpreted the 1,260 days mentioned in Revelation as three and a half years, a prophetic countdown to the rapture

How He Convinced Congregants to Fast

After he told them meaning of 1,260 days that will lead to a prophetic countdown to the rapture, he provided alternative to emerge from this rapture as the deadline approached.

According to witness, followers were urged to fast to “beat the clock,” from the date their sojourn to jangwani (shakahola) begun in 2020 believing the world’s end was imminent

Another preacher emerged, who was known as George, allegedly reinforced Mackenzie’s interpretation and fueled the sense of urgency among followers.

What Another Witness Testified in Court in 2023

During earlier proceedings in 2023 to extend suspects’ detention period, Assistant Director of Public Prosecutions Jami Yamina Submitted to the court that the suspects in police custody and the rest at the Sajahanad rescue center, Kilifi, were not engaged in a genuine  hunger strike to vindicate their rights but that it was a fasting  in disguise to meet the deadline to heaven.

Many of the survivors were later transferred to prison custody for force feeding and treatment to save their lives.

During that time the court also heard a testimony from witness known as E.I., who accounted how his father pressurized him to join the fasting cult warning him how his peers were already with God and he was their wasting time.

He also recounted the moment when Mackenzie threatened to “force people to heaven through blows and kicks” if they resisted his directives.

Paul Mackenzie and other members appearing before Shanzu Law Court on September 23, 2025. PHOTO/ ODPP X Account