Suspected Kilifi cult leader Paul Mackenzie (right) and his accomplices at Shanzu Law Court in Mombasa County on July 10, 2024.
A witness in the Shakahola massacre case has told the court that controversial preacher Paul Mackenzie presided over the wedding of his parents before they later disappeared into the forest, never to be seen again.
Mr Jimmy Mganga testified before the Mombasa court that the wedding took place when the Good News International (GNI) church leader had not yet adopted his radical beliefs and teachings.
"He officiated our parents' wedding. At the time, he was a good preacher, and his teachings were sound," Mr Mganga told Chief Magistrate Alex Ithuku.
He made this statement on Tuesday during cross-examination by Mackenzie's lawyer, Mr Lawrence Obonyo, who sought clarification regarding the witness' claims that the preacher opposed worldly matters such as education.
According to Mr Mganga, the wedding took place in 2014 at the GNI church in Malindi, where Mackenzie issued the couple with a marriage certificate.
The 32-year-old also informed the court that his father, Moses Kahindi, his mother, Joyce Kachi, and his three siblings remain missing.
Pending DNA test
He stated that his efforts to locate his family members or their remains have been in vain, as the government has consistently informed him that there are no materials available to complete the DNA sampling process.
"I am pleading with the government to finalise this process so that I can know what happened to my parents and siblings. We need to confirm whether their bodies are among those stored in containers at Malindi Mortuary. We want closure," he said.
Mr Mganga explained that a sample of his DNA was taken on May 2, 2023, at Malindi Hospital to determine whether his parents' bodies were among those recovered from Shakahola Forest.
"I have yet to be shown the DNA results to confirm whether my parents and siblings are alive or deceased. When I enquire, I am told that there are no reagents available to complete the scientific process of identifying the bodies preserved at Malindi Mortuary," he added.
While being led in examination by prosecution counsels Jami Yamina, Victor Owiti, Victor Simbi, and Alex Ndiema, the witness recounted that his parents and three siblings left their home in Sosobora village in December 2020 after the Christmas holiday.
His missing siblings are Posela Mwavita, 27, Gemnis Chenda, 24, and Rita Sidi, 16.
His father, aged 58, informed him that they were relocating to occupy parcels of land being sold in Shakahola Forest by the Wabaya Mware family.
"Before leaving our home in December 2020, my father sold a portion of our village land," he said.
Mr Mganga further testified that his father used part of the proceeds from the land sale to begin constructing a GNI church within their village. He intended to use the remaining funds to purchase land in Shakahola Forest.
He recounted visiting his parents in Shakahola, where they lived in a makuti-thatched and mud-walled house.
Occasionally, his father would return home briefly before returning to the forest with fruits and farm produce.
Mr Mganga told the court that his parents remained in Shakahola until reports emerged in the media that people were dying there due to starvation.
He spoke to his father on April 14, 2023, when he confirmed reports of deaths in the forest and Mackenzie's arrest.
Dire situation
"My father told me that the situation was dire in the forest because security personnel had arrived to rescue people, yet they wanted to die and ascend to heaven," he said.
He and his brothers subsequently arranged to evacuate their parents and siblings from the forest.
The witness stated that he spoke to his father again the following day and he confirmed they were in the process of escaping and would call once they reached a safe location.
His brother and brother-in-law then travelled to the agreed meeting point, but his parents and siblings never arrived, and their phones were switched off.
"I have neither seen nor heard from them since that day. I do not know their whereabouts, although I am aware they resided in the forest," he said.
Mr Mganga also revealed to the court that he had fallen out with his father in 2018 after reporting him to the education authorities in Malindi for withdrawing his siblings from school.
At the time, his sisters were in Form Four and Grade Four, respectively.
He confirmed that their entire family had been adherents of the GNI church since 2010 and were deeply religious, believing in Mackenzie's teachings that Jesus was to return to earth in June 2023.
"Due to his teachings, my father stopped my two sisters from attending school. I reported the matter to the education authorities, leading to his arrest in March 2018. He was taken to court and later released on bail," he said.
However, he admitted that he did not pursue the case further due to pressure from relatives who blamed him, fearing that his actions could result in their father being jailed.
