‘Mackenzie Shielded My Sister’s Rapist’ – 17-Year-Old Boy Testifies in Shakahola Case
A 17-year-old boy has testified that controversial preacher Paul Nthenge Mackenzie protected a man who raped his younger sister seven years ago at Good News International Church.
The boy, who was ten at the time, told the court that Mackenzie and fellow pastor George Mwaura prevented his mother from reporting the incident to the Malindi police station.
The accused was the husband of a female preacher from Mackenzie’s church in Furunzi-Malindi, Kilifi County.
According to a statement issued by the Office of the Director of Public Prosecution (ODPP) on Saturday, Mombasa Chief Magistrate Alex Ithuku heard that the two pastors sought to resolve the defilement case within the church but instead covered it up and denied the family justice.
A -17 year old boy narrated to a Mombasa court how Shakahola massacre mastermind Paul Nthenge Mackenzie shielded a man who defiled his little sister inside his Good News International Church (GNI).
— Office of The Director Of Public Prosecutions (@ODPP_KE) August 16, 2024
The then 10 year old boy stated that the man was a husband to a female preacher… pic.twitter.com/ed6cUP8nrA
“Mackenzie told the victim’s mother, a church member, not to report the incident, promising to deal with the perpetrator,” stated the ODPP.
“However, the witness said Mackenzie and Pastor Mwaura instead covered up the matter, frustrating their quest for justice.”
The girl later married a man with whom she had eloped at a young age.
According to the ODPP, the boy testified that the incident altered his perception of Mackenzie and his church, prompting him to discontinue the mandatory daily Bible study sessions that Mackenzie’s doctrines deemed necessary.
He described how, one morning, his mother brought him home with a man who bound his hands and forced him back to Bible study classes after a severe beating.
“The minor testified that upon his return, Mackenzie’s brother and an accused person whipped him thoroughly for missing the studies,” stated the ODPP.
The court also heard that the church taught children to reject education, medication, and other worldly affairs in favor of memorizing Bible verses for future reference.
The witness read some of the verses he had memorized in the courtroom, where Mackenzie, his wife Rhoda Mumbua Maweu, and 92 others face 283 counts of manslaughter.
He also claimed that one of the accused, Evans Kolombe Sirya, coached children and instructed them to lie to a Malindi magistrate court in a case involving Mackenzie.
“Sirya would transport the minors in his tuktuk to the court and coach them on how to testify, threatening them with divine retribution if they told the truth,” the boy stated.
The minor’s mother reportedly relocated to Shakahola forest with other Mackenzie followers and died after fasting for several days.
Her remains have not been discovered, and DNA testing has yet to match any of the 429 bodies recovered from shallow graves.
The hearing is set to take place from September 9 to 12, this year.
‘Mackenzie Shielded My Sister’s Rapist’ – 17-Year-Old Boy Testifies in Shakahola Case
