Witness Testifies Pastor Mackenzi Never Bought Shakahola Land

A 75-year-old witness has cast doubt on claims that preacher Paul Mackenzi purchased land in Shakahola Forest, where mass graves linked to his ministry have been discovered.

Testifying in the Mombasa High Court, Charo Katana stated that Mackenzi did not buy the land but instead paid a traditional goodwill fee, Kanjama, of Sh100,000 to his brother, Salim Mwaro, with Katana receiving Sh1,500 from the payment.
Katana's testimony directly contradicts previous assertions that Mackenzi had acquired ownership of the land.

His remarks about the modest portion he received from the payment prompted laughter in the courtroom. The trial forms part of a broader case in which Mackenzi and 19 co-accused face 191 charges of murder, related to the deaths of followers who allegedly died under Mackenzi’s teachings that discouraged education and medical care.

Further testimony came from Chakama location chief Raymond Msinda, who described how suspicions about Mackenzi’s activities first emerged. A community member had reported seeing unfamiliar people collecting water at River Galana, prompting an investigation.

When Msinda met Mackenzi, the preacher claimed that he had moved to Shakahola after his church in Malindi had been shut down and that his followers had come to the forest for farming, dismissing the allegations as false.