Witnesses Recount Tragedy of Starvation and Mass Burials in Mackenzie Trial

The trial of controversial preacher Paul Mackenzie and seven co-accused continued at the Mombasa High Court before Hon. Lady Justice Wendy Kagendo.

The court heard emotional testimony as three prosecution witnesses took the stand. Their accounts detailed mass graves, radical teachings and extreme suffering linked to Kwa Binzaro.

First, Senior Sergeant Livingstone Lihanda described how investigators handled the crime scene. He explained the exhumation process and the collection of evidence.

“52 bodies, mostly skeletal remains and body parts, were recovered from homesteads within Kwa Binzaro,” he told the court.

In addition, he pointed to burial patterns in his forensic report.

“Two graves contained the highest number of bodies, with three remains each,” he stated.

Testimony on Radical Teachings

Next, the fourth witness, J.O. from Siaya, explained how he joined Mackenzie’s followers in 2019. He said he first watched the preacher’s sermons on Times TV.

He told the court that the teachings changed his family life. He embraced beliefs that rejected education, medical care, and cosmetics. As a result, he withdrew his children from school and moved to Shakahola in 2020.

Moreover, he described life in the settlements as strict and controlled. He said followers enforced extreme fasting through instructions linked to Mackenzie’s group.

He also said he later reconnected with the group through his son while in custody. After that, he joined efforts to recruit others into isolated camps in Malindi.

“I gave a distressing account of losing all six of his children to starvation, recalling their cries for food and water,” he testified.

He also identified some accused persons as guards at Kwa Binzaro.

Also Read: Shakahola Massacre: How Pastor Mackenzie Described Deaths as Weddings to Lure His Followers

Emotional Account of Suffering

Meanwhile, the fifth witness, L.A., who was J.O.’s wife, confirmed parts of his testimony. She also shared her personal experience.

She said their journey to Malindi began with hope. However, it later turned into suffering and fear.

“She further recounted how children, weakened by prolonged hunger, would attempt to escape the forest in search of food or water, only to be pursued, captured, and severely beaten by enforcers of the group’s doctrine,” she testified.

In addition, she identified six accused persons in court. She said she had seen them at Kwa Binzaro during the period in question.

Finally, she described a tragic moment where she witnessed the death of her children after days of confinement.

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Prosecution Team

The prosecution team included Deputy Directors of Public Prosecutions Mr. Joseph Kimanthi and Mr. Jami Yamina. It also included Principal Prosecution Counsels Mr. Victor Owiti, Ms. Betty Rubia, Mr. Frank Sirima and Prosecution Counsel Ms. Nancy Cherop.

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Justice Diana Kavedza at High court Mombasa ruling over a case on the Shakahola massacre
PHOTO/Nation