The Director of Public Prosecutions (DPP) has presented two witnesses who testified against Pastor Mackenzie and 94 others before a Mombasa Court.
The first witness told the court how his father who once opposed his preaching joined the pastor and subjecting him and his siblings to fasting. He was however lucky to escape Shakahola forest by cycling to a children’s home in Watamu.
“JNK went to tell the court that while his father initially opposed Pastor Mackenzie’s teachings, he eventually joined him, and the family relocated to Shakahola in a place known as.
- Mackenzie and 29 others were properly charged, says High Court
- Shakahola massacre key suspect Paul Mackenzie boycotts hearing
The witness went on to tell the court that while at Shakahola, Paul Mackenzie convened a meeting to which many people attended and issued an order that they were supposed to fast, beginning with children, followed with women, and finally men.
In implementing the pastor’s directive, the witness explained to the court how their parent locked him and his siblings in a room with neither water nor food. He recounted how he escaped from Shakahola by cycling to a children’s home in Watamu.” said the witness
The second witness was a woman revealed how she lost seven of her children, six through fasting and one who died shortly after giving birth as she was too weak to feed the infant.
“She informed the court that her children died of starvation and dehydration; the security men manning the area took away the foodstuffs she had in her house.
She explained that because she was pregnant at the time her six children died, she was compelled to fast in order to kill the unborn; after two days of fasting, she was so weak that she gave birth. She didn’t have the energy to breastfeed the newborn; as a result, the infant died.
She also told the court that they were not allowed to mourn the death of their children, and she witnessed several kids die following instructions from Paul Mackenzie.” she said
