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A 17-year-old witness testified in a Mombasa court, recounting her harrowing experience of surviving on only water for 38 days in the Shakahora forest before being rescued by police.
The teenager, who is now under state protection, gave a chilling account of how she was forced to leave school and subsequently live in a hunger cult led by Paul Mackenzie.
In her testimony before Mombasa Chief Magistrate Alex Ithuku, the minor detailed how her mother pulled her out of Grade 4 school in 2020 without her father’s consent.
“I remember it was a Friday when my mother picked me up from school. She took me to Mombasa and we went to Mlango Wa Saba church in Mshomoroni, which was a branch of Mackenzie.” She said.
By September 2020, the family had moved to Furunzi, Malindi, and began attending the church of Paul Mackenzie, who opposed education and advised his followers to sell their properties and avoid medical treatment.
“In October, we learned that land was available in Chakama. My mother bought two acres and we moved to Shakahora,” she recalled.
Move to Shakahola
The minor testified that her mother sold all their possessions except for a mattress and some dishes. “The day we moved to Shakahora, we spent the night at Malindi Forenzi Church. Mackenzie’s followers came in a truck called ‘The Last Trumpet of Times TV’ and Mackenzie was on board.” She added.
After arriving in Shaka Hora, they settled in a village called Galilea, living first in tents and later in makeshift buildings. “We were allocated land by Mackenzie’s guards and one of the defendants was Alex.” She said.
The minor revealed that MacKenzie chose her to spread his message door to door. “There was no church in the forest; we held our meetings in a village called Judah. I was assigned as a servant, preaching from house to house.” She explained.
In 2023, McKenzie instructed his followers to begin a fast he called a “fast blockade.” The minor testified, “I witnessed the death of six children from my village. Mackenzie announced their deaths at the Saturday rally to encourage others to fast and hasten their own deaths.”
She revealed that she was forced to go on a hunger strike for 38 days before the authorities intervened. “Whenever my mother wasn’t home, I had to steal water.” She said.
Paul McKenzie faces murder, child abuse and terrorism charges linked to the deaths of more than 400 people. The manslaughter trial of McKenzie and his 94 co-defendants resumed on Monday.
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