Former Co-Preacher Testifies on Mackenzie’s Doctrines Linked to Shakahola Massacre

Former co-preacher George Mwaura Kiburu has testified in the Mombasa High Court, revealing new details about the controversial teachings of Paul Mackenzie, whose doctrine is linked to the deaths of 191 people in the Shakahola forest massacre.

Mwaura, who worked with Mackenzie between 2018 and 2020, described how the Good News Church instructed members to abandon ordinary life, including jobs and education, in anticipation of a predicted "rapture" in June 2023. He recalled being encouraged to quit his job as a bus driver and to withdraw his daughter from school to help edit Mackenzie’s sermons. 

The church’s teachings, according to Mwaura, also condemned education, healthcare, and government systems, including the Huduma Number registration programme. Video evidence presented in court showed Mackenzie denouncing worldly institutions and promoting isolation.

Mwaura further testified that Mackenzie’s central message focused on a divine rapture, in which believers would ascend to heaven, leaving the rest of humanity behind. Despite Mwaura’s initial scepticism, Mackenzie’s teachings became more entrenched, leading to increased detachment from normal life. 

Relatives of victims also testified, sharing the devastating effects of Mackenzie’s doctrine on their families. Investigators have provided chilling details about the conditions in Shakahola forest, where victims were found in “fasting bays”, makeshift enclosures surrounded by thorny branches, used to enforce prolonged fasting as part of Mackenzie’s teachings.

Further evidence revealed that Mackenzie used media to instil fear in his followers, invoking apocalyptic predictions based on news reports from Kenya, Tanzania, and beyond. He also introduced a Tanzanian follower as a prophet, which helped strengthen his authority within the group.