Five testify in terrorism charges against Shakahola massacre suspect Mackenzie, 95 others
The prosecution Monday presented five witnesses in the ongoing terrorism related against Paul Nthenge Mackenzie and 95 others before the Shanzu Law Courts.
The witnesses included former prison officers, government chemist analysts, two police officers, and a civilian who painted a picture of forgery, deception, and religious extremism.
A resident of Malindi Sebastian Namuye narrated how Pastor Mackenzie allegedly falsified documents in the registration of Good News International Church.
He narrated to the court how Mackenzie forged his signature in a document to falsely list him as the treasurer of the Good News International Church.
Shadrack Musau Mutiso, a former prison warden, shared a similar ordeal, where it is alleged that Pastor Paul Nthenge Mackenzie forged his signature and postal address in documents used for the registration of Good News Kenya Ltd.
Mutiso told the court that he had never transacted any business with Pastor Mackenzie apart from a single visit to Good News International Church, Ruiru branch, when he accompanied a friend to visit Mackenzie.
The court also heard that the witness didn’t know or meet the advocate who is said to have commissioned the alleged registration documents.
A government analyst, David Ngumbao, narrated how he received a postmortem and soil samples for toxicology analysis.
He told the court that he was required to analyze samples taken from bodies exhumed from Shakahola forest and soil samples taken from Shakahola to test for toxic substances.
He told the court that he conducted an analysis of extracts from 190 human bodies and 301 soil samples, where he conducted an analysis of 10% of each sample as required by their Standard Operating Procedures.
According to Ngumbao, there were no toxic substances detected in all the samples submitted to the government chemist.
He told the court that if any sample tested positive, it was a requirement that the government chemist would have tested the rest of the other samples submitted.
Later, Benson Omar Mutimba, a Webuye resident, narrated how his children were lured to leave schools and travel to Shakahola by being made to understand that education was evil.
According to Mutimba, when his 27- and 16-year-old children went missing, the mobile phone of one of them was tracked to Malindi at around the Mackenzie area by the Directorate of Criminal Investigations.
According to the witness, his elder son told his father how Pastor Mackenzie had promised him a helicopter had he continued following his teachings.
According to Safaricom records, the son, on reaching Ukunda in Mombasa County, transferred Ksh 200 to Pastor Paul Mackenzie’s mobile phone.
Two police officers, constable Tony Manjani and Gilbert Kiprop, an arresting officer and a DCI officer who recovered items in the homesteads, respectively, narrated how they arrested the victims who had escaped from Shakahola for allegedly committing murder in Shakahola forest.
The latter told the court how he recovered a bag at the nearby house of Mackenzie containing a comb, photo album, and Gillette.
He also recovered CDs, DVDs, and pamphlets containing religious education about ending time messaging, discouraging people from education, treatment, and beauty.