Five more witnesses testify in Kwa Binzaro murder trial
Shakahola mass murder trial
Five more witnesses testified before Lady Justice Wendy Kagendo at the Mombasa High Court in the ongoing Kwa Binzaro murder trial involving controversial preacher Paul Mackenzie and seven co-accused.
The prosecution team presented a protected witness identified as N.K., a minor, who gave a chilling account of her experiences at Kwa Binzaro in Malindi.
N.K. told the court that she was born and raised in Malindi, where she lived with her mother and three siblings.
She testified that she was a follower of Good News International Ministries (GNI) in Furunzi, whose teachings discouraged formal education and medical treatment and emphasized “end times” doctrines.
As a result, she dropped out of school in Grade 5 and joined her mother in selling watermelons.
The court heard that in May 2025, one of the accused, Kahindi, visited their home and informed her mother that prayers were ongoing and that land had been acquired in a new location.
He later returned in June 2025 accompanied by Ann, the second accused, and urged them to relocate to the wilderness, claiming it was necessary for spiritual cleansing before going to heaven.
N.K. testified that the group also received phone calls from Mackenzie, allegedly while in custody, encouraging them not to fear and to continue with the work.
She recounted how she and her mother eventually traveled to Kwa Binzaro after attending meetings at Ann’s residence. While there, she described being subjected to prolonged fasting, including a seven-day fast, and witnessing the deaths of children. She further told the court that on the sixth day of fasting, she was denied water even while unwell and menstruating.
She was later separated from her mother and confined in a locked room secured with chains, which she identified in photographic evidence presented before the court.
The 9th witness, Karisa Gona Fondo, testified that he sold a five-acre parcel of land at Kwa Binzaro to the second accused, Shallyne, for Ksh. 20,000, in the presence of Kahindi and other local witnesses, including village elder Safari Kenga.
He later received information from the District Officer (D.O.) that there were reports of a church where people were dying. Upon visiting the site, he found individuals in extremely poor health.
Safari Kenga Nzai, the 10th witness and a village elder, corroborated the land sale transaction and confirmed witnessing the signing of the agreement.
He told the court that he was later alerted to a problem at the property and, upon visiting with local administrators, found several individuals who appeared weak and critically ill. He also observed a fireplace at the scene.
The 11th witness, Kanze Charo Kenga, testified that on 18th July 2025, she encountered a man identified as J.O., who appeared weak and malnourished. .
He requested to use her phone to contact a friend and claimed he was lost while in the company of another individual. She assisted him by providing access to her phone, and he shared two contact numbers.
Her husband, Gona Charo Kalama, testified as the 12th witness.
He told the court that he visited the Kwa Binzaro homestead under the pretext of conducting a headcount for relief food distribution. While there, he encountered Shallyne and three other individuals.
He managed to obtain Shallyne’s identification details, as she claimed the others were her workers.
Alarmed by the situation, he informed the District Officer, who later arrived at the scene with police officers and local administrators.
He further testified that upon their arrival, several individuals fled the homestead. Despite breaking the chains that had locked the doors, they were unable to apprehend those who escaped.
He also identified some of the accused persons as individuals he had seen at Kwa Binzaro.
The hearing will continue on May 18,2026.