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According to his testimony, Mackenzie taught that "the Bible was viewed as a signboard that directs somebody but does not accompany him/her" and that followers no longer needed it because "they had Jesus with them, and they could see and communicate with him." The witness said he understood this to mean Mackenzie was referring to himself as Jesus
The son, (Ochieng) was among five witnesses called by the prosecution on Thursday before Senior Principal Magistrate Eric Wambo at the Mombasa Law Courts, where Pastor Paul Mackenzie and his co-accused, Shallyne Temba, Kahindi Garama, Tom Mkonwe, Julius Luwali and Johnson Richard, are jointly facing 29 counts of manslaughter
Mackenzie, together with Shallyne Temba, Kahindi Garama, Tom Mkonwe, Julius Luwali and Johnson Richard, faces 29 counts of manslaughter. The prosecution alleges that the six jointly caused the deaths of 29 people between January and July 2025 at Kwa Binzaro in Chakama Location, Magarini Sub-County, Kilifi County. The case is continuing.
Witnesses described emotional scenes, construction activity, and police intervention as prosecutors build their case over deaths linked to the secluded compound.
The eight suspects face charges under the Prevention of Terrorism Act, the Penal Code, and additional murder-related counts before the High Court.
The crackdown comes in the wake of cult-related deaths in Malindi, where more than 484 people, including over 450 followers of the Good News International Church under preacher Paul Mackenzie, perished in Shakahola Forest, while 34 others died in Kwa Binzaro village.
Inspector General of Police Douglas Kanja said investigators have established that a number of the victims were brought into the country from Asia before being radicalised and eventually killed.
Speaking to reporters, Police spokesperson Michael Muchiri said the situation revealed shortcomings in preparedness despite lessons from past incidents.
Authorities also collected scattered human remains and body parts, which will undergo DNA analysis to establish whether they correspond with the exhumed bodies.
Government Pathologist Richard Njoroge confirmed the number and cautioned that the operation, already yielding “five bodies out of six exhumed graves,” was just the beginning.
Early investigations suggest that the new victims in Kwa Binzaro may also have been starved to death, although the graves were concealed deeper in the bush compared to Shakahola.