How Mackenzie led new 'suicide pact' from prison cell

Thursday, February 12, 2026

Scroll down to read the article

Pastor Paul Mackenzie when he appeared before a Mombasa court on November 10, 2025.

Photo credit: Kevin Odit | Nation Media Group

By Brian Ocharo

Correspondent

Article
Related

Controversial preacher Paul Mackenzie, alias Mtumishi, and self-styled priestess Shallyne Anindo Temba, alias Ann, have been charged over what investigators describe as Shakahola season two, a fresh wave of cult-related deaths that occurred in Kwa Bi Nzaro forest in Chakama, Kilifi County.

Mackenzie and Temba were charged alongside Kahindi Kazungu Garama alias Mlewa, Tom Ochieng Mkonwe alias Thomas alias Tomaso, Julius Tuva Luwali and Johnson Gona Richard.

The six appeared before a Mombasa magistrate’s court and denied the charges, which the state alleges were committed on unknown dates between January and July 2025.

According to the charge sheet, the accused persons, “in pursuance of a suicide pact for the object of your death and others not before court,” jointly killed 29 victims.

Read: Shakahola confessions: Suspect who pleaded guilty details torture, starvation that killed over 400

In the first count, the prosecution alleges they killed Samuel Owino Owuoyo, a male adult identified as MLD/BODY 1/19.07.2025.

The remaining counts relate to 28 other victims, most described as unknown persons of unascertained gender and undetermined age.

Some bodies are identified through forensic and scene references, including BZRB/G006(1)/22.08.2025, BZRB/G006(2)/22.08.2025 and BZRB/G018/28.08.2025, among others bearing ASN and BP serial numbers linked to recovery sites in Kwa Bi Nzaro.

In a separate case before the Shanzu Law Courts, Mackenzie, Temba and six others face radicalisation and terrorism-related charges linked to the deaths of at least 52 members of the outlawed Good News International Ministries church.

Those charged alongside them are Garama, Mkonwe, Luwali, Gona, Musee alias Mzee Mutua and James Kazungu Kahindi alias Ponda alias Baba Bura.

According to the charge sheet, the eight are jointly facing six counts tied to alleged organised criminal activity and terrorism-related offences.

Prosecutors allege that between January and July 2025, at Kwa Bi Nzaro, the accused were members of a radicalised religious sect described as an organised criminal group that endangered the lives of its followers, leading to the deaths of at least 52 people.

In addition, Temba, Garama, Mkonwe and Musee are charged with possession of materials linked to terrorism-related activities, including flash disks and SD cards containing recorded sermons allegedly intended to instigate followers to fast to death. They denied the charges.

The eight suspects were also presented before the High Court in Mombasa in connection with 25 counts of murder. However, they were not required to plead after the court ordered that they undergo a psychiatric assessment to determine whether they are mentally fit to stand trial.

The prosecution requested the mental assessment before plea-taking and indicated it would oppose any attempt to release the suspects on bond, seeking four days to file an affidavit opposing bond.

According to the charge sheet, the murder counts relate to the deaths of children of unknown gender aged between one and 11 years.

Musee and Kahindi separately face charges of being accessories after the fact of murder. The state alleges they received Julius Tuva Luwali and assisted Temba, Garama and Mkonwe, knowing they had committed the offences of murder, in order to help them escape punishment.

The Kwa Bi Nzaro case is linked to the larger Shakahola tragedy, where Mackenzie is facing similar charges over the deaths of more than 450 members of the Good News International Ministries church.

Investigations have established that the Kwa Bi Nzaro deaths were not an isolated incident but a continuation of the Shakahola cult operations linked to remnants of Mackenzie’s outlawed Good News International church.