Witness in Shakahola case details cult control, destruction of Bibles, and suicide pacts
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A self-confessor in the Shakahola case on Wednesday told a Mombasa court that he had intended for months to disclose his involvement but feared for his safety
Enos Amanya Ngala, also known as Haleluya, testified before Chief Magistrate Alex Ithuku that he delayed speaking out because he was afraid of reprisals from cult leader Paul Nthenge Mackenzie and a group of followers who enforced strict control within the settlement.
While giving sworn evidence, Amanya alleged that Mackenzie discouraged prayer, praise and worship, and instructed followers to destroy the Bible and other Christian religious texts. He told the court that he found these directives inconsistent with mainstream Christian teachings, which recognise the Bible as a central source of spiritual guidance.
The witness further testified that he began questioning the teachings shortly after relocating from Malindi to Shakahola forest. According to his account, Mackenzie allegedly told followers that those who starved themselves to death would receive special recognition in heaven.
Amanya told the court that followers entered into what he described as suicide pacts, believing death through fasting would hasten their meeting with Jesus. He claimed Mackenzie said he had received a dream indicating that those who died by starvation would be rewarded in the afterlife.
In his testimony, Amanya also alleged that Mackenzie told followers he would be the last person to die and warned that anyone who failed to follow the instructions would be condemned.
The court heard that Amanya admitted participating, alongside other accused persons, in activities that facilitated deaths within the forest. He testified that some victims were restrained to prevent them from abandoning prolonged fasting.
He further told the court that two of his six children died in the forest and that he personally buried them, later learning that his remaining four children had also died.
Amanya alleged that bodies were buried in shallow graves and that he took part in digging some of them. He also claimed that coded language was used within the settlement, including terms referring to fasting to death and self-sacrifice.
The witness stated that after his arrest, he shared his account with a senior General Service Unit officer, who advised him to wait until he could present his statement formally in court. He attributed delays in confessing publicly to changes in legal representation, time spent in custody, and a limited understanding of court procedures.
Amanya concluded two days of testimony in a case in which Mackenzie and 94 co-accused persons face 283 counts of manslaughter. The accused persons have denied the charges, and the case remains before the court for determination.
Content retrieved from: https://eastleighvoice.co.ke/coast/301030/witness-in-shakahola-case-details-cult-control-destruction-of-bibles-and-suicide-pacts?amp=1.
