The High Court in Mombasa briefly paused proceedings in a murder trial after a 22-year-old man accused of killing a 17-year-old girl indicated he wished to pursue a plea bargain.
Lewis Kazungu Charo is charged with the murder of Farida Changawa Julius, who died on June 6, 2025, at Mferejini Village in Kijipwa, Kilifi South.
Charo, a palm-wine tapper, had reportedly worked at the girl’s family homestead for six months before the incident.
Prosecution has already presented three witnesses in this case, including testimony that a knife allegedly linked to the killing was similar to one routinely used by the accused in his daily work. The court also heard that the accused and the deceased were known to each other.
The third prosecution witness, the deceased’s grandfather, Tinga Mwachiro Kiti, testified and recounted identifying his granddaughter’s body at Kilifi Sub-County Hospital during a post-mortem examination conducted on June 12, 2025.
Before the Prosecution could proceed, State Counsel Ngiri Wangui and Frank Sirima informed Lady Justice Wendy Micheni that the defence had written to the court expressing interest in a plea bargain.
In the letter, Charo said he wished to conclude the case in a manner that would serve the interests of justice and avoid a prolonged trial.
The victim’s family lawyer, Duncan Osoro, noted that the bereaved relatives must be consulted before any agreement is considered.
Justice Micheni adjourned the hearings to allow prosecution and the family’s representatives to discuss the implications of a possible plea deal. She directed that consultations be completed within 14 days.
The matter will be mentioned on the 18th of December 2025, for further directions.
Elsewhere, the prosecution called a key witness of fact in the ongoing manslaughter case against Pastor Paul Mackenzie and 94 others at the Mombasa Law Courts. Her testimony painted a vivid picture of the alleged radical teachings within the Good News International Ministry.
The witness told the court that she had been a devoted follower of the ministry for more than a decade. She described herself as one of the “wateule,” a term she said referred to people who believed deeply in Jesus.
She recounted how, under the teachings she received from Pastor Paul Mackenzie, earthly education was prohibited as it led to evil ways.
She testified that she has not used any form of medicine for over 10 years. She said that whenever she fell ill, she relied solely on prayer, believing that medicine was created through “satanic minds” and, therefore, dangerous.
The witness also said the church discouraged the use of beauty products, claiming they made people lose their true identity, a belief she still carried.
Before fully committing to the teachings, she had worked as an accountant, a job she eventually left in 2018 after being convinced it was “earthly” and was turning her into “a thief.”
She told the court that these teachings against education, hospitals, and beauty products came directly from Pastor Mackenzie, whom she believed was the first to receive the prophecy.
She added that she fully embraced his teachings through the Good News International Ministry, Times TV programmes, and YouTube sermons. She said she was present during Mackenzie’s messages about “the beast,” “kazi ya mteule,” and “njia ni nyembamba.”
The prosecution also played a video in court in which Pastor Mackenzie is heard saying: “My role is to brainwash people of their sins so that their soul meets Jesus Christ in heaven.”
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