MOMBASA, Kenya, October -In a gripping courtroom revelation, a police witness testified that controversial preacher Pastor Paul Mackenzie secretly consumed food while in police custody, as his followers continued to fast, believing that it would protect them from criminal charges.
Assistant Superintendent of Police (ASP) Noor Abdi, the former Officer Commanding of Malindi Police Station, testified before Principal Magistrate Leah Juma, detailing the events surrounding Mackenzie and his co-accused, who were detained from June 6 to June 14, 2023.
During this time, 15 of the suspects allegedly participated in an eight-day hunger strike, asserting that their fasting was aimed at seeking divine intervention regarding their legal predicaments.
“Your honour, we separated Mackenzie from the rest of the suspects, and our informer reported that he secretly ate while in the cell, ensuring that his followers remained unaware,” Abdi noted in his testimony.
The ASP further indicated that the fasting suspects exhibited extreme physical weakness and refused medical assistance when they were taken to a hospital, adamantly maintaining that their fasting was a spiritual obligation. He produced several communications sent to senior police officials detailing the mass refusal of food by the detained members of the Shakahola cult.
The prosecution also introduced Alex Tsofia, an excavator operator contracted by Mackenzie to construct a dam in Shakahola, Kilifi County. Tsofia revealed to the court that he had worked at the site for two weeks as part of this project.
The court also heard from Engineer Fredrick Ako of the National Water Harvesting and Storage Authority, who assessed the dam’s capacity and purpose. He clarified that the structure was not intended for irrigation but rather functioned as a water harvesting pan, having a storage capacity of 18,851.6 cubic metres, sufficient to supply water for 218 households (approximately 1,090 individuals) throughout the year.
A follow-up inspection conducted by the National Water Authority corroborated that there was no evidence supporting the use of the excavation for irrigation or livestock purposes, indicating that the endeavor was solely for water catchment. The report estimated that under certain rainfall and consumption levels, the dam could supply water to as many as 16,498 people for three months.
Emotional testimony was also delivered by Mr. Stephen Mwiti, whose life was dramatically altered after his wife became a follower of Mackenzie.
Mwiti recounted the strains on their marriage due to his wife’s fixation with the pastor’s sermons, stating, “I sometimes walked around with the TV remote in my pocket to stop her from watching Mackenzie’s preaching, but it didn’t help.”
He recounted the painful moment when his wife left their home with their five children while pregnant with a sixth, joining the Shakahola community.
“When I heard some people had been rescued from Shakahola, I prayed I would reunite with my family. But I was devastated when I learned that my wife and all six children, including a one-month-old baby, had disappeared,” Mwiti shared, visibly moved.
A subsequent DNA test confirmed that one of the rescued children was indeed his. When asked by Mackenzie’s lawyer whether he would contemplate reconciling with his wife, Mwiti stated he had left the decision to the court and was solely seeking justice.
Pastor Mackenzie, along with 92 co-accused individuals, faces numerous charges at the Shanzu Law Courts under the Prevention of Terrorism Act and the Prevention of Organised Crime Act.
The ongoing case continues to capture national attention, unveiling disturbing details about the alleged cult activities in Shakahola, where hundreds of followers are believed to have died as a result of starvation and brainwashing.
