Shocking new revelations emerged in court Tuesday as the manslaughter trial of controversial preacher Paul Mackenzie and his 94 co-accused took a dark turn — with survivors laying bare the horror, betrayal, and death they faced in the Shakahola death cult.
The courtroom fell silent as Jimmy Mganga, 33, delivered his emotional testimony, revealing how his own father — once a loving parent — chose the cult over family, vanishing into the Shakahola forest after Mackenzie’s arrest.
“I begged him to leave… he promised to come back, but that was the last time I heard his voice,” Jimmy recalled, his voice breaking.
Jimmy told the court his father had transformed their home into a “church of doom”, abandoning education and enslaving the family under Mackenzie’s teachings. Two of his younger siblings were forced out of school — an act that landed Jimmy in conflict with his own blood.
“I reported him… he was arrested, but Mackenzie paid his bond. From that day, my family turned against me,” he revealed.
The betrayal cut deeper when Jimmy’s father lured his mother and three sisters into Shakahola, pretending they were buying land. They never returned.
“The last time I saw them was in 2023. I fear they’re gone… lost in the mass graves,” he said, fighting back tears.
But Jimmy’s story was just the beginning of the chilling testimonies laid before the court.
Starved to Death, Silenced in Death
In a heart-wrenching closed session, a minor identified as JNK described how Mackenzie ordered families to fast to death — starting with the children.
“We were locked up… no food, no water. My siblings died. I cycled to Watamu to save my life,” the boy revealed.
Another witness, a heartbroken mother BMN, stunned the court as she narrated losing seven children, including a newborn, to starvation and dehydration under Mackenzie’s orders.
“They took our food, forced me — pregnant — to fast until I gave birth. I was too weak to breastfeed… my baby died in my arms,” she sobbed.
BMN disclosed how Mackenzie’s guards patrolled Shakahola, ensuring no one dared mourn their dead children.
“We watched as children dropped dead… nobody was allowed to cry,” she said.
The Deadly Gospel of Shakahola
BMN revealed that she joined Mackenzie’s Good News International Church after watching his sermons on Times TV in 2017. Slowly, the preacher dismantled their lives — forbidding schooling, medical care, family planning, and even national duties like voting or the census.
By 2019, Mackenzie had shut down his TV station and shifted to WhatsApp, where he issued his deadly orders directly.
“He told us to pay Ksh 2,000 for 2 acres in Shakahola. We thought it was our promised land — it became our graveyard,” BMN cried.
Prosecution Vows Justice
The prosecution, led by Assistant DPP Jami Yamina and senior counsels Victor Owiti, Betty Rubia, and Alex Ndiema, vowed to expose every sinister detail of Mackenzie’s cult operations.
With over 400 bodies — most of them children — already exhumed from shallow graves in Shakahola, this trial is fast becoming Kenya’s darkest moment in the war against cults.
“This is not just a case — it’s a massacre disguised as religion. Justice must be served,” the prosecution declared.
As more witnesses prepare to testify, the country watches — horrified — as the chilling reality of Shakahola unravels in court.
The question remains — how many more died in the name of faith?
