The shocking Shakahola starvation saga took a new twist on Wednesday after a police witness told a Mombasa court that controversial preacher Paul Mackenzie secretly ate while in custody — even as his followers refused food, believing their hunger strike would bring divine intervention and freedom.
Testifying before Principal Magistrate Leah Juma at the Shanzu Law Courts, Assistant Superintendent of Police (ASP) Noor Abdi, the former Officer Commanding Malindi Police Station, revealed that Mackenzie and several of his co-accused were detained at the station between June 6 and June 14, 2023.
“During that period, at least 15 suspects refused to eat for eight consecutive days, insisting their fasting was a spiritual act meant to secure divine intervention in their legal troubles,” Abdi testified.
“We separated Mackenzie from the rest of the suspects, and our informer reported that he ate while in the cell but did it secretly so that his followers would not notice.”
Followers Risked Death During Hunger Strike
The officer described how the detainees grew dangerously weak and rejected medical care despite being taken to hospital. “They maintained that they were fasting for spiritual reasons,” he told the court.
Abdi also produced official communication records sent to senior police commanders detailing the mass refusal of food among the detained Shakahola cult followers.
According to the Office of the Director of Public Prosecutions (ODPP), Abdi’s testimony forms part of a growing body of evidence that paints Mackenzie as a manipulative figure who preyed on his followers’ faith — both inside and outside custody.
The prosecution is building its case against Mackenzie and 92 co-accused persons, who face multiple counts under the Prevention of Terrorism Act and the Prevention of Organised Crime Act.
New Evidence on Shakahola Excavation Project
The court also heard from Alex Tsofia, an excavator operator who testified that Mackenzie had contracted him to dig a dam in Shakahola, Kilifi County, where the alleged cult operated.
Tsofia told the court he worked at the site for two weeks. His testimony was backed by Engineer Fredrick Ako from the National Water Harvesting and Storage Authority, who produced a technical report on the dam.
According to the report, the structure was not designed for irrigation but as a water harvesting pan with a storage capacity of 18,851.6 cubic metres — enough to supply water to about 218 households (roughly 1,090 people) for an entire year.
A subsequent inspection by the Authority found no signs of irrigation or livestock activity, concluding that the excavation served as a pure water catchment project. However, depending on rainfall and usage, the dam could support up to 16,498 people for three months, the report said.
Tragic Testimony from a Broken Family
The court also heard a heart-wrenching testimony from Stephen Mwiti, a man whose family was torn apart after his wife became one of Mackenzie’s followers.
“I sometimes walked around with the TV remote in my pocket to stop her from watching Mackenzie’s preaching, but it didn’t help,” Mwiti recounted tearfully.
He told the court that his wife eventually fled their home with their five children while pregnant with their sixth, moving to the Shakahola settlement.
“When I heard some people had been rescued from Shakahola, I prayed I would reunite with my family. But I was devastated when I learned that my wife and all six children, including a one-month-old baby, had disappeared,” he said, visibly emotional.
A subsequent DNA test confirmed that one of the rescued children was indeed his. When cross-examined by Mackenzie’s lawyer on whether he would reconcile with his wife, Mwiti said he had left the matter to the court, adding:
“I only want justice.”
Case That Shocked the Nation
The ODPP noted that the testimony adds to the “harrowing details” emerging from the Shakahola massacre, where hundreds of Mackenzie’s followers are believed to have starved to death or been indoctrinated into extreme fasting.
Mackenzie and his associates remain in custody as the state continues to piece together evidence of mass deaths, torture, and radicalization linked to his Good News International Church.
The case, which has gripped national and international attention, continues before the Shanzu Law Courts, with the prosecution expected to call more witnesses in the coming weeks.
