In a chilling recounting before Shanzu Senior Principal Magistrate Hon. Leah Juma, the seventh prosecution witness in the Shakahola massacre terrorism-related case described the harrowing ordeal of being coerced into aiding his one-and-a-half-year-old daughter in fasting to death.
The protected witness revealed that despite initial efforts to protect his child, he ultimately succumbed to pressure from elders enforcing the fast and monitoring the deaths.
These elders were reportedly acting on the orders of Paul Nthege Mackenzie, the prime suspect, to implement his radical teachings among his followers.
The witness recounted that the enforced fasting led to his daughter’s death after 15 days without food or water. He also shared the tragic loss of his wife, who died following a ten-day starvation period in a makeshift tent where she had relocated.
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Over two days of testimony, the witness provided a graphic account of how Mackenzie’s radical teachings resulted in the deaths of over 400 people in the expansive Shakahola forest. The fasting, initially voluntary, was later mandated by Mackenzie, resulting in numerous child fatalities between January and February 2023. Mackenzie allegedly conducted burials for the children who perished from starvation.
The witness attempted to escape but was hindered by fear of capture and lack of resources. Following his child’s death, his wife moved deeper into the forest to comply with an order for fasting followers to evade police detection amid active searches for missing persons. After his wife’s death, the witness transported bodies to burial sites and dug graves, continuing the gruesome task while occasionally breaking his fast with honey and water.
These distressing revelations were made during the examination-in-chief by the prosecution team, led by Peter Kiprop, Jami Yamina, Anthony Musyoka, Victor Owiti, Betty Rubia, and Peris Ogega.
The court has adjourned the hearing until September 30, 2024, with further proceedings scheduled from October 1 to October 3, 2024, and October 28 to October 31, 2024.
