The Director of Public Prosecutions (DPP) has concluded the first case against controversial preacher Paul Mackenzie, for the alleged torture of children in the Shakahola Forest during a deadly fasting ritual that resulted in the deaths of over 454 of his followers.
After presenting 76 witnesses and 112 exhibits, including expert reports, literature, photographs and videos, the prosecution closed its case in a record one year and two months. This marks the fastest conclusion of a complex, high-profile matter by the ODPP.
The development now clears the way for Tononoka Children's court Principal Magistrate Nelly Chepchirchir to determine whether Mackenzie and 34 of his associates should stand trial for the brutal treatment of children, who were reportedly whipped and beaten while trying to escape the forced fasting.
Of the 76 witnesses, 16 were placed under protection, among them 13 children. The first witness testified on July 24, last year, while the final three gave evidence on September 19, 2025, bringing the hearing to a close after just over a year.
The witness list included survivors of the massacre, relatives of the dead, some of the accused, as well as investigators, first responders, arresting officers, medics, caregivers and pathologists who carried out the post-mortems.
Pastor Paul Mackenzie in Court.
Photo credit: Kevin Odit| Nation Media Group
Young survivors described being compelled to fast, being withdrawn from school, and being subjected to violent punishment by Mackenzie’s followers, who acted as guards to prevent escape.
Children’s Officer Omar Mohamed gave pivotal evidence, explaining how three minors rescued from the forest had been pulled out of school and forced to take part in fasting rituals. They were found severely malnourished but have since undergone treatment, counselling and been re-enrolled in school, with one girl now performing exceptionally well in secondary education.
The final witnesses to give evidence were Safaricom data analyst Dennis Muriithi; Israel Veronica, a 21-year-old survivor from Chakama in Malindi; and Inspector Phoebe Okomo of the DCI’s Child Protection Unit in Mombasa. Their evidence was heard before Jami Yamina, the Senior Assistant Director of Public Prosecutions, formally closed the case.
Mr Muriithi explained that Safaricom had complied with a court order requiring disclosure of call records and M-Pesa registration data crucial to the investigation.
Using these records, investigators traced the registration dates and last activity of four numbers linked to Mackenzie before they were recycled.
Ms Veronica recalled how her father, one of the accused, withdrew her and her six siblings from school in 2019, insisting that education was sinful.
“Our family later moved from Kasarani, Nairobi, to Shakahola after selling everything, including our land. That is how we ended up there,” she told the court.
Inspector Okomo described her role in assessing and rescuing 27 children aged between one and a half and 17 years.
The children, she said, spoke of living in settlements named Judea, Samaria and Jerusalem, where they gathered under a large tree for prayers and burial ceremonies.
Locals from Shakahola Centre help dig up graves at Shakahola Forest part of the 800 acres linked to Paul Mackenzie of Good News International Church in this past photo taken on June 6, 2023.
Photo credit: File I Nation Media Group
Many had fled when the fasting intensified. They later identified Mackenzie during a parade and recounted being starved and beaten.
Play Therapy Kenya and the Director of Children’s Services provided counselling to stabilise the children before statements could be taken, as many showed signs of trauma and emotional distress.
Other significant testimonies included that of Senior Sergeant Cyrus Irungu, one of the first officers on the scene. He recalled meeting a frail boy who was being carried by his grandmother from the forest.
“When asked about his siblings, the child pointed to a flattened patch of land, a chilling sign they had been buried there,” he said.
Clinical psychologist Dr Florence Mueni, alongside a team of specialists, testified that many of the rescued minors continue to suffer long-term trauma, including nightmares, withdrawal, grief and fear.
Some of the children had never attended school due to Mackenzie’s sermons on Time TV, which condemned education and medical care.
Forensic experts also played a central role. Government analyst Henry Kiptoo presented laboratory findings from samples collected at the site and from exhumed remains, linking them to prolonged starvation.
Chief Inspector Joseph Kolum of the Anti-Terrorism Police Unit submitted a 74,658-page forensic report extracted from Mackenzie’s mobile phones.
Using specialised software, he uncovered conversations between Mackenzie and his followers concerning fasting, prophecy, the Antichrist, the Beast, the New World Order, and the number 666. Prosecutors argued that these topics were used to indoctrinate children and justify starvation.
Dr Richard Njoroge, a government pathologist, helped strengthen the case by presenting post-mortem results indicating systematic deaths by starvation.
Relatives of the victims spoke of broken bloodlines, recounting how families were torn apart by Mackenzie’s apocalyptic message.
They described how their relatives — wives, sisters and brothers — had left home under Mackenzie’s influence, taking their children with them. They later returned with fewer children and eventually disappeared altogether.
Suspected Kilifi cult leader Paul Mackenzie (right) and his accomplices at Shanzu Law Court in Mombasa County on July 10, 2024.
Photo credit: Wachira Mwangi | Nation Media Group
Mackenzie and 34 of his co-accused were charged with cruelty, torture, and denying children an education in connection with the massacre.
While the case concerning the torture of children has now closed, Mackenzie and his co-accused still face three other cases, ranging from charges of manslaughter and murder to radicalisation, before different courts.
