A Kenyan pastor told his family he was leaving for a job in Nigeria before disappearing entirely, the High Court heard this week as the Kwa Binzaro murder trial linked to controversial preacher Paul Nthenge Mackenzie resumed before Justice Wendi Micheni. Relatives of several missing persons took the stand, delivering emotional testimony that painted a devastating picture of families shattered by sudden, unexplained disappearances.
Son Recalls the Last Time He Saw His Father
Nineteen-year-old Boniface Ouma Ochieng traveled from Nairobi to his family home in Esikulu Village, Busia County, in March 2025, after his father, Pastor David Ochieng Otieno, summoned him for what would turn out to be a final meeting.
According to Boniface, his father informed the family that he had secured a glass-fitting job in Nigeria and might later travel to South Africa for a separate assignment. Before leaving, Pastor David handed his son critical family documents, including land ownership papers, with a sobering instruction: keep them safe should anything happen.
Shortly after that encounter, Pastor David vanished alongside his wife, Millicent Awino Agai, and their four children: Jael Atieno Ochieng, Favour Adasa Ochieng, Daniel Ochieng, and John Mark Paul Ochieng.
Boniface told the court he subsequently reported the disappearances to the police and submitted DNA samples to help investigators trace his missing relatives and identify bodies recovered during the ongoing probe.
Elderly Mother Describes Daughter’s Sudden Disappearance
The court also heard from 70-year-old Beatrice Agola Adum, whose testimony brought a heavy stillness to the proceedings. Beatrice narrated how her daughter, Alice Achieng, disappeared from their home in Andingo Debe village along with several children she had been living with, including one belonging to a relative. Despite repeated efforts to locate them, every attempt to trace Alice and the children has come up empty.
Beatrice also told the court that Kelly, a 12-year-old girl and the daughter of Diana Atieno, was among those who went missing alongside Alice.
Witness Links Disappearances to Shakahola Network
Simon Chea Bikazuri took the stand to recount how his wife, Neema, vanished in April 2025, taking six children and a grandchild with her. Simon drew a direct line between his wife’s disappearance and individuals previously connected to the Shakahola tragedy, the mass starvation cult case that shocked Kenya and the wider world.
Simon told the court that Neema was related to Janet Mwatete, one of the accused persons in the Shakahola manslaughter trial, who reportedly disappeared in 2023 with four children.
Authorities later identified and buried two of those children. Simon further claimed that at the time of her disappearance, Neema was allegedly traveling with Kadzo Charo and Moses Karema, both of whom face charges connected to the Shakahola case.
Fears of Another Shakahola Grow as Trial Continues
Taken together, the testimonies from this week’s hearing sketch a troubling pattern. Prosecutors believe the disappearances connect directly to activities at Kwa Binzaro, raising fears that Kenya may be confronting a grim repetition of the Shakahola horror.
Several witnesses broke down while addressing the court, pleading with authorities to fast-track the DNA identification process so their families can recover the remains of their loved ones and conduct dignified burials.
The trial is scheduled to continue from June 22 to June 26, 2026. The court will also conduct physical visits to the alleged crime scenes in Malindi, Shakahola, and Kwa Binzaro, visits that prosecutors hope will bring investigators closer to the full truth behind the disappearances.
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