Court proceedings at the Shanzu Law Courts concerning the Shakahola massacre have revealed additional details about how Pastor Paul Mackenzie indoctrinated followers into his cult-like practices.

On Monday, the father of one victim testified that his son was introduced to Mackenzie’s church, Good News International, through a referral from a former high school classmate.

The father explained that his son, who had been pursuing a bachelor’s degree in electrical engineering at the Technical University of Mombasa, was compelled to abandon his studies and join Mackenzie in Shakahola.

In testimony before Principal Magistrate Leah Juma, a father recounted how his son’s commitment to education waned after joining Pastor Paul Mackenzie’s church, Good News International.

When questioned, his son reportedly responded that the end of the world was near, making education a worldly, “evil affair” that held no value.

The father also shared that communication with his son became sporadic, with contact only possible when his son chose to call.

Additionally, his concerns deepened when he was informed that his son had been admitted to a hospital in Malindi.

There, he discovered the severe effects of the cult’s influence—his son, once a rugby player, was severely malnourished and could barely speak.

He later learned that followers were encouraged to burn their academic documents, as education was portrayed as evil and nonexistent in heaven.

Mackenzie and 95 co-accused now face multiple charges, including terrorism, child cruelty, radicalization, murder, and violations of the Basic Education Act, allegedly committed between 2020 and 2023.

Authorities arrested Mackenzie in April last year after bodies were first uncovered in the remote Shakahola forest near Malindi. Since then, rescuers have unearthed around 429 bodies from mass graves in the area.

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