
A witness has revealed how controversial preacher Paul Mackenzie twisted passages from the Bible to convince his followers to undergo deadly fasting in Shakahola, Kilifi County. His teachings, based on distorted interpretations of scripture, have been linked to a starvation cult that claimed scores of lives.
Testifying at Shanzu Law Courts before Principal Magistrate Leah Juma, the witness said Mackenzie frequently cited Revelation chapter 13, verse 11. He reinterpreted the passage about a pregnant woman hiding in the wilderness to mean his church and followers, while the child symbolised their faith. The wilderness, he claimed, represented Shakahola forest, where his congregation relocated after he shut down his Furunzi church.
According to the testimony, Mackenzie also described the seven-headed dragon in the passage as Satan and “wamataifa,” or worldly powers. He reportedly taught that the prophecy pointed to a 1,260-day countdown — three and a half years — to the rapture. Followers were told to begin fasting in 2020 to prepare for the world’s end. Another preacher, identified as George, was said to have supported Mackenzie’s apocalyptic claims.
The court also revisited a 2023 application by Assistant Director of Public Prosecutions Jami Yamina, who said Mackenzie’s followers were not on hunger strikes in custody as they claimed, but were secretly fasting to “meet the deadline to heaven.” Some had to be force-fed in prison to save their lives.
Another witness, identified as E.I., gave a personal account of pressure from his father, who insisted peers were already “with God” while warning him against “babeli,” a place of damnation. E.I. said Mackenzie even threatened to “force people to heaven through blows and kicks” if they resisted fasting.
Chilling testimony also came from children under witness protection. A 10-year-old boy recalled being beaten and whipped for eating secretly during fasting, while his toddler sibling was forced to survive on sips of water. He said he later saw three children buried in a shallow grave. The boy eventually escaped but later discovered his mother and youngest sibling had died. A 16-year-old witness added that Mackenzie preached against education, healthcare, and government services, calling them “the work of the devil.”
Forensic officers presented disturbing evidence, including videos of Mackenzie’s sermons and photographs of shallow graves in Shakahola, some containing multiple bodies. Investigators also recovered personal belongings and records from Mackenzie’s home.
The case against Mackenzie and 95 co-accused has resumed, with prosecutors expected to present more witnesses in the coming sessions.
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