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A witness on Wednesday revealed before the Shanzu Law Court that controversial preacher Pastor Paul Mackenzie secretly ate while in police custody, even as his loyal followers continued fasting, believing that abstaining from food would help them avoid criminal charges.
Former Malindi Police Station OCS Noor Abdi told Principal Magistrate Leah Juma that Mackenzie and his co-accused were detained between June 6 and June 14, 2023. During this time, he said, 15 of the suspects refused to eat for eight consecutive days, insisting their fasting was a spiritual act meant to bring divine intervention.
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Abdi testified that Mackenzie was kept separately from the other suspects, but informers later revealed that he ate discreetly to avoid being seen by his followers. The officer added that many of the detainees became frail from hunger and even declined medical help when taken to hospital, maintaining that their starvation was an act of faith.
He also presented several communication reports sent to senior officers detailing the mass hunger strike among the detained Shakahola followers.
The prosecution also called Alex Tsofia, an excavator operator who said he had been hired by Mackenzie to construct a dam in Shakahola, Kilifi County, where he worked for two weeks. Another witness, engineer Fredrick Ako from the National Water Harvesting and Storage Authority, testified that his assessment found the structure was not an irrigation dam but a water harvesting pan with a capacity of 18,851.6 cubic metres—enough to serve about 1,090 people annually.
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Further inspection confirmed there was no evidence of irrigation or livestock use, showing the excavation was intended purely for water storage. Depending on rainfall, the facility could support up to 16,498 people for three months.
The court also heard from Stephen Mwiti, whose life was devastated after his wife became a devoted follower of Mackenzie. Mwiti recounted how her obsession with the pastor’s sermons caused constant family conflict. He said he even carried the TV remote with him to prevent her from watching Mackenzie’s preaching, but his efforts failed.
Eventually, Mwiti’s wife left home with their five children while pregnant with their sixth, joining the Shakahola settlement. He told the court that he hoped to find them alive when rescue operations began but was heartbroken to learn they had all disappeared. DNA tests later confirmed that one of the rescued children was indeed his.
When asked by Mackenzie’s lawyer whether he would reconcile with his wife, Mwiti said he had left the matter to the court and was only seeking justice.
Pastor Mackenzie and 92 co-accused are facing multiple charges under the Prevention of Terrorism Act and the Prevention of Organised Crime Act. The case continues to expose chilling details about the Shakahola cult, where hundreds are believed to have died through starvation and indoctrination.
