Paul Mackenzie at the Shanzu Law Courts on April 3, 2024.
The testimony of a survivor of the deadly fast in Shakahola, which claimed more than 454 lives, has given a glimpse into the other side of life in the forest before weekly worship and strict rules were introduced.
Patrick Mungai, once a follower of preacher Paul Mackenzie and a member of his Good News International church in Makongeni, Nairobi, lifted the lid on the grim realities endured by those who trusted Mackenzie’s vision.
Testifying before Shanzu Principal Magistrate Leah Juma, Mr Mungai recounted how women, lured with promises of salvation, soon found themselves abandoned in a wasteland of starvation. The witness was testifying in a case in which Mackenzie, his wife Rhoda Mumbua Maweu, and dozens of their co-accused have denied terror-related charges.
With no food, no water and nowhere to turn to before the fasting rules were initiated, desperation pushed some into a grim bargain, trading their bodies in exchange for the chance to survive another day.
“Women started misbehaving and were offering themselves to the Somali herders,” he told the court under the guidance of Senior Assistant Director of Public Prosecutions, Jami Yamina.
Mr Mungai added that when Mackenzie became aware of the women’s plight, the preacher swiftly convened a meeting to reassert control. At that gathering, Mackenzie reprimanded his followers and warned them against “misbehaviour”, reminding them of their status as a “chosen” people.
“This was the only meeting held during the eight months I stayed in the forest,” said the witness.
There was no church, and people did not worship unless privately in their homes. There were no restrictions and people were free to move around, but Mackenzie issued a warning during that meeting.
His stay in the forest, he said, was marked by a persistent lack of food, water and other necessities vital for survival. Life was unbearably tough, with believers forbidden from engaging in any form of income-generating activity.
“We had no work to do in the forest. Our only duty was to live as the chosen ones. Faith kept growing stronger,” he said.
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.
Mr Mungai said he joined GNI in 2018 after following Mackenzie’s sermons on Times Television. He worshipped there until 2021, having joined the Makongeni branch in Thika, which had over 200 congregants, where Mackenzie himself also preached.
During cross-examination by Mackenzie’s lawyer, Lawrence Obonyo, the hearing took an unexpected turn that left the courtroom in fits of laughter. Mackenzie, while listening to incriminating evidence against him, scribbled notes and passed them to his lawyer to challenge the witness.
“Weren’t you a thief, stealing guns before you joined GNI?” Mr Obonyo asked.
“Ah, ah, ah… yes, I was,” replied Mr Mungai with a broad grin. “But I reformed before joining the church,” he quickly added, his laughter so infectious that it set off an amused ripple across the courtroom.
His candid admission, delivered with bursts of laughter, hinted at an earlier moment of confession, possibly made to church leaders when he joined in 2018. The prosecution did not pursue the matter during re-examination.
Mr Mungai told the court that in December 2020, he moved with his wife and two children to Shakahola, persuaded by Mackenzie’s sermons about a wilderness where the chosen would find eternal peace. By then, many believers had already settled and built houses.
“I was shown a place where I erected my house,” he said. He lived there until August 2021, when life became unbearable due to lack of food, water and basic needs. A pastor from Nairobi, who later testified against Mackenzie, helped him to leave the forest.
“The pastor told me he had disagreed with Mackenzie over matters of faith. I also felt it was enough. I wanted my children to go to school and I wanted to work to feed my family, but this was impossible in the forest. Faith became an unnecessary burden,” he said.
He added that although he bears no grudge against Mackenzie or his followers, he believes decisions about faith must be personal, not made collectively. He also clarified that when he first arrived in 2020, there was no mass fasting, no organised worship, and no restrictions, only a scarcity of food and water.
“The initial plan was not to fast to death. I did fast while in the forest, but it was voluntary; a conscious choice my wife and I made. I was persuaded by Mackenzie’s message to go there, but when life became unbearable, I decided to leave after eight months,” he said.
Locals from Shakahola Centre help dig up graves at Shakaola forest part of the 800 acres linked with cult leader Paul Mackenzie of Good News International Church on June 6, 2023.
Another witness, Joseph Sulubu Kayaa, a resident of Chakama and a pastor at the East African Pentecostal Church, broke down in court as he described how an emaciated nine-year-old boy escaped from Shakahola and sought refuge in his home, 14 kilometres away.
“The child was very thin and had developed a severe skin disease. He told me he had escaped from Mackenzie’s place where people were suffering and dying. He was not sure whether his parents were alive,” said the 45-year-old, tears rolling down his cheeks.
The boy begged for food, confessing he had starved for days. Mr Sulubu quickly ordered tea for him while a meal was being prepared.
“The child drank the hot tea in less than two minutes. That is when I realised how hungry he was,” he said.
He immediately informed the village elder, who alerted the chief and the police. The boy stayed with Mr Sulubu for eight days before being taken away by officers.
The suspects in the case are accused of engaging in organised criminal activity that endangered lives and led to the deaths of hundreds of followers. The state further alleges that Mackenzie, his close associates, and other groups promoted radical beliefs that encouraged followers to fast to death in pursuit of religious change.
Mackenzie and his associate Smart Mwakalama are also accused of facilitating terrorist acts by transporting members of GNI between Shakahola forest and Malindi, exposing them to danger.
In addition, Mackenzie and his wife face charges of possessing CDs, DVDs, books, and pamphlets allegedly intended to instigate terrorist acts in Furunzi, Malindi between 2020 and 2023.
