Son Links Father’s Disappearance to Pastor Mackenzie’s Teachings in Shakahola Trial

A son told a Mombasa court how his father’s beliefs changed and later disappeared, in a case linked to teachings associated with Pastor Paul Mackenzie.

The testimony came as the prosecution called five more witnesses on Thursday, July 23, 2026, in the ongoing Kwa Binzaro manslaughter case, where Mackenzie and five others face 29 counts.

Boniface Ochieng directly linked his father’s transformation to interactions with followers of Mackenzie, explaining how the change shaped family decisions and later led to his disappearance.

The case is before Senior Principal Magistrate Eric Wambo at the Mombasa Law Courts.

Ochieng told the court that his father founded Neno Evangelism Centre, later renamed it Grace Revival Church, and eventually Kanisa la Yesu, before his beliefs began to change.

Background to the Disappearance Linked to Mackenzie

Ochieng said that the turning point came when his father started working closely with Samuel Owino, a follower of Mackenzie.

“He told the court that he attended the conference for one day, during which the teachings discouraged formal education, seeking medical treatment, and engagement with government. He also recalled that a subsequent conference was held at their family home, where his father sought financial support from him to cater for the visiting congregants,” DPP stated.

Also Read: How Police Officer Resigned From His Job to Serve Pastor Paul Mackenzie Before His Death in Shakahola

As his father followed the teachings linked to Mackenzie, Ochieng said life at home quickly changed.

He told the court that his father stopped him from going to school before the COVID-19 closures and did not allow him to return even after schools reopened.

Ochieng added that authorities later arrested him and his siblings before taking them back to school.

Discovery of Bus Tickets Raises Alarm

Ochieng then explained how he became worried when he could no longer reach his parents in 2025. After returning to Nairobi, he tried calling them several times without success and decided to take action.

“After returning to Nairobi on 18 March 2025, he was unable to reach either of his parents by phone. Concerned, he asked his friend, Kefas Okello, to visit the family home. Okello reportedly found the house deserted. Two weeks later, Ochieng returned home, forced entry into the locked house and discovered four Tahmeed Coach bus tickets to Mombasa,” the DPP stated.

Witness Links Disappearance to Earlier Teachings

He testified that this discovery reminded him of earlier conversations with his father about travelling to the ‘wilderness’ for what he understood to be fasting until death.

He subsequently reported his parents as missing at Vigilance House Police Headquarters, where investigators later collected his DNA samples.

Ochieng told the court that Inspector Owade later informed him that the DNA results matched those of his deceased father.

Also Read: Obado and Co-Accused Found Guilty of Murdering Sharon Otieno

Arresting officer details operation in Bamburi

Police Constable Alfred Kipchumba also told the court how officers carried out an operation in Mtopanga, Bamburi, on July 20, 2025.

He said they arrested four suspects and recovered four mobile phones. He named Shallyne Temba, Kahindi Garama and Tom Mkonwe among those arrested.

Another witness, Steven Ngala, said he rented a room to Shallyne Temba in April 2025.

He told the court that other people later joined her before moving to another room within the same compound.

Steven Ngala also said Temba hosted a man who stayed briefly and left without notice.

The prosecution also called Mbaraka Kahindi and Hamisi Abdillahi, who added to the account of what happened.

Their testimonies supported what the court had already heard about the family’s movements, the empty house, and the concerns that the disappearance was linked to earlier teachings.

The court will continue hearing the case on September 21, 2026.

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Boniface Ochieng appears before a Mombasa court on July 23, 2026, where he testifies on how teachings linked to Paul Mackenzie influenced his father’s beliefs and led to his disappearance. PHOTO/ DPP