Hard truths. Bold Insights. Real talk.
Kilifi County has asked relatives, next of kin and anyone with information that could help establish the identities of the remains to visit Malindi Sub-County Hospital Mortuary, where 443 bodies and 45 body parts recovered during multiagency operations are being held.
The call was made during Senate Mashinani in Kilifi County, where the Standing Committee on Health and the County Public Investments and Special Funds Committee inspected Malindi Sub-County Hospital and assessed challenges affecting healthcare delivery.
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 emotional testimony came on Monday as the prosecution presented four additional witnesses in the ongoing manslaughter case against Pastor Paul Mackenzie and his co-accused Shallyne Temba, Kahindi Garama, Tom Mkonwe, Julius Luwali and Johnson Richard.
During court proceedings on Thrusday, Amanya affirmed that his plea was made voluntarily, saying it was free from any form of pressure, threat, or coercion.
The eight suspects face charges under the Prevention of Terrorism Act, the Penal Code, and additional murder-related counts before the High Court.
The guilty plea marks a critical moment for prosecutors seeking to uncover the inner workings of the sect led by self-styled preacher Paul Nthenge Mackenzie, accused of orchestrating a deadly regime of starvation, abuse, and forced obedience.
The long and painful wait continues for many, but for 16 families, closure has begun as they prepare to lay their loved ones to rest after nearly two years of uncertainty.
For nearly two years, the remains of the victims were kept at Malindi Sub-County Hospital mortuary, carefully preserved and labeled while forensic teams worked to match DNA samples to families eager for closure.This week, authorities launched a new phase of releasing identified bodies, this time including 37 victims, providing families with the opportunity to finally say goodbye.
The officer told the court that they had separated Mackenzie from the other suspects, and an informer had reported that the preacher secretly ate in his cell so his followers would not notice.
The witness recounted that Mackenzie often referred to a passage in the Book of Revelation about a pregnant woman hiding in the wilderness for 1,260 days to escape a seven-headed dragon.
The prosecution team, led by Assistant Director of Public Prosecutions Jami Yamina and supported by Principal Prosecution Counsel Betty Rubia, as well as counsels Eunice Odongo and Biasha Khalifa, sought to highlight the depth of abuses allegedly carried out under Mackenzie’s influence.