A protected witness told a Mombasa court that Pastor Paul Mackenzie allegedly instructed her to begin fasting during a telephone call while he was being held at Shimo la Tewa Maximum Security Prison.
She testified that the call came after Shallyne Temba, one of the accused, persuaded her family to leave their home and relocate to Kwa Binzaro in Kilifi County. The witness said followers believed that fasting would prepare them for heaven.
The witness’s testimony was presented on Tuesday as prosecutors continued their case against Mackenzie and five co-accused. The six face 29 counts of manslaughter before the Mombasa Court.
The protected witness, identified in court as NK, told the court that Shallyne Temba repeatedly visited her family’s home and persuaded her mother to move to the isolated settlement of Kwa Binzaro.
Once they arrived there, NK said, Temba handed her a mobile phone so she could speak directly with Pastor Paul Mackenzie. NK said that after she told Mackenzie she was willing to fast, he replied that there was little time left and urged her not to delay. She said she fasted for a week before her health began to deteriorate.
NK further told the court that when she asked to leave the settlement, co-accused Kahindi Garama allegedly refused, saying NK was too weak to travel and that returning home in her condition would raise questions. NK said she and her mother eventually stopped fasting because they could no longer endure the hunger.
She added that Temba later called Mackenzie again using the phone’s loudspeaker so others nearby could hear the conversation. NK said she immediately recognized Mackenzie’s voice because she had attended his church in Furunzi for several years.
NK testified that Mackenzie instructed Temba to hand the phone to her before advising her to cooperate with those at the settlement until she had regained enough strength to travel. Despite that, she said the people around her continued urging her to resume fasting.
The witness further alleged that, after she repeatedly asked for water and banged on a door in protest, other occupants restrained her until her mother intervened and secured her release.
The hearing briefly adjourned after NK became emotional during cross-examination. Fighting back tears, she told the court she regretted dropping out of school and said she believed the events surrounding the church had denied her the chance to complete her education and pursue her goals.
The court also heard testimony from another protected witness, identified as KK, who told the court she spent about 10 years as a member of Good News International Church before relocating to Kwa Binzaro.
KK, 60, testified that she sold her sewing machine to raise funds for the trip after being convinced that fasting represented the only route to salvation. She alleged that shortly after arriving, she and other followers were locked inside a house for seven days without food or drinking water, and they received only a bucket to use as a toilet. KK said the conditions became unbearable and that she eventually pleaded for water after she became too weak to continue.
She also testified that church teachings discouraged followers from attending school or seeking medical treatment. She further alleged that women were forbidden from wearing make-up, braiding their hair, or registering for Huduma Namba.
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