A 17-year-old boy narrated to a Mombasa court how Paul Nthenge Mackenzie, the mastermind behind the Shakahola massacre, protected a man who defiled his younger sister inside the Good News International Church (GNI).
The boy, who was 10 years old at the time, testified that the perpetrator was the husband of a female preacher at Mackenzie’s church in Furunzi-Malindi, Kilifi County.
He accused Mackenzie and Pastor George Mwaura of preventing his mother from reporting the incident to Malindi Police Station.
Mombasa Chief Magistrate, Hon. Alex Ithuku, heard that the two pastors wanted to resolve the defilement case internally within the church.
Mackenzie assured the boy’s mother, a church member, that he would handle the matter but instead, both Mackenzie and Pastor Mwaura covered up the crime, blocking the family’s pursuit of justice.
The court also heard that the young girl was later married to the man who had eloped with her at a young age. The boy testified that this event shattered his faith in Mackenzie and his church, prompting him to stop attending Bible study sessions.
However, one morning, his mother brought home a man who tied his hands behind his back and took him back to the Bible study classes.
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Upon his return, the boy said he was severely beaten by an accused person in the case, along with Mackenzie’s brother, for missing the sessions.
He further revealed that over 70 children had been enrolled by their parents in the GNI Bible study classes, where they were taught to reject education, healthcare, and other “worldly” affairs while being encouraged to memorize Bible verses.
In a courtroom filled with Mackenzie, his wife Rhoda Mumbua Maweu, and 92 others facing 283 counts of manslaughter, the boy recited some of the verses he had memorized. He also testified that one of the accused, Evans Kolombe Sirya, coached the children to lie in court during a case against Mackenzie. Sirya would transport the minors to court in his tuktuk, instructing them on how to testify, warning them of God’s wrath if they told the truth.
The boy’s mother later joined Mackenzie’s followers in Shakahola Forest, where she died after days of deadly fasting. Her remains have yet to be identified among the 429 bodies recovered from shallow graves, pending DNA analysis.
Further hearings are scheduled from September 9-12, 2023.
