The prosecution presented the 28th and 29th witnesses in the ongoing manslaughter case against Pastor Mackenzie and 94 others in a Mombasa court.
JNK, a minor, was one of two witnesses who testified in camera. JNK, a third-born child in a family of seven, told the court how he was arrested and charged alongside his siblings after his parents withdrew them from school following Pastor Mackenzie’s teaching against education.
JNK went to tell the court that while his father initially opposed Pastor Mackenzie’s teachings, he eventually joined him, and the family relocated to Shakahola in a place known as
The witness went on to tell the court that while at Shakahola, Paul Mackenzie convened a meeting to which many people attended and issued an order that they were supposed to fast, beginning with children, followed with women, and finally men.
In implementing the pastor’s directive, the witness explained to the court how their parent locked him and his siblings in a room with neither water nor food. He recounted how he escaped from Shakahola by cycling to a children’s home in Watamu.
This testimony sheds light on the case against Mackenzie, highlighting the influence his alleged teachings had on families and the difficult circumstances the minors faced.
The second protected witness, identified as BMN, testified in court about the heartbreaking loss of her seven children due to starvation in Shakahola.
She informed the court that her children died of starvation and dehydration; the security men manning the area took away the foodstuffs she had in her house.
She explained that because she was pregnant at the time her six children died, she was compelled to fast in order to kill the unborn; after two days of fasting, she was so weak that she gave birth. She didn’t have the energy to breastfeed the newborn; as a result, the infant died.
She also told the court that they were not allowed to mourn the death of their children, and she witnessed several kids die following instructions from Paul Mackenzie.
According to the witness, she joined Pastor Mackenzie’s church in 2017 after following his preaching on Times TV.
She explained that under the pastor’s guidance, she was compelled to withdraw her children from school.
She further stated that Pastor Mackenzie discouraged followers from going to the hospital, family planning, and participation in government programs, including elections and the national census.
The witness further revealed that she attended multiple seminars organized by the pastor in locations like Malindi, Mtwapa, Rabai, and Tononoka.
In 2019, the pastor announced to his followers that he would be closing his church and his Times TV channel.
Mackenzie then created a WhatsApp group to communicate officially with his followers.
After the church’s closure, the witness learned that the pastor’s followers had relocated to Shakahola.
She was told to pay Sh2,000 to secure two acres of land in Shakahola before joining them.
The witness, along with her husband and children, moved to Shakahola, where they began farming on the land they had purchased.
The prosecution team includes Assistant DPP, Jami Yamina, Principal Prosecution Counsels Victor Owiti and Betty Rubia, and Alex Ndiema.
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