Controversial preacher Paul Mackenzie, the man accused of leading the deadly Shakahola starvation cult, is once again at the centre of national outrage this time, over revelations that he secretly ate in police custody while his followers continued starving themselves in the name of “divine intervention.”

In emotional testimony before Principal Magistrate Leah Juma at the Shanzu Law Courts, Assistant Superintendent of Police (ASP) Noor Abdi, the former Officer Commanding Malindi Police Station, painted a disturbing picture of hypocrisy, manipulation, and blind faith.

According to Abdi, Mackenzie and several of his followers were detained at the Malindi Police Station between June 6 and June 14, 2023. During this period, about 15 suspects refused to eat for more than a week, insisting their hunger strike was a holy act one that would supposedly free them from the criminal charges tied to the Shakahola massacre.

“We separated Mackenzie from the rest of the suspects,” Abdi told the court. “Our informer later reported that Mackenzie ate in secret while in the cell so that his followers would not find out.”

Abdi’s statement left the courtroom tense. For many listening, it confirmed what investigators and survivors have long alleged that while hundreds of believers fasted to death under his instructions, Mackenzie may have never endured the same suffering.

The officer further testified that those refusing to eat became dangerously weak, even after being transferred to the hospital. Doctors urged them to take fluids and food, but they declined, saying their fasting was “for God’s will.”

Abdi also presented communication records showing how police commanders were briefed daily about the growing crisis a mass hunger strike inside the police cells that echoed the horrors of Shakahola.

A Case of Faith Turned Fatal

The Office of the Director of Public Prosecutions (ODPP) told the court that the testimony formed part of a wider case linking Mackenzie and 92 co-accused persons to offences under the Prevention of Terrorism Act and the Prevention of Organised Crime Act.

The prosecution then called Alex Tsofia, an excavator operator, who said he was hired by Mackenzie to construct a dam in Shakahola, Kilifi County the now infamous area where scores of shallow graves were discovered.

“I worked at the site for about two weeks,” Tsofia testified.

He described how the site was isolated and how workers were instructed not to question the project’s purpose.

Supporting the account, Engineer Fredrick Ako from the National Water Harvesting and Storage Authority produced an official report showing that the dam was not meant for irrigation, but rather for water harvesting capable of storing 18,851.6 cubic metres of water, enough for over 1,000 people for a year.

However, the report noted that the structure had no signs of being used for livestock or farming, leading experts to suspect it might have been part of a plan to make the settlement self-sustaining as Mackenzie’s followers withdrew deeper into isolation.

The Human Cost Behind the Faith

The courtroom fell silent when Stephen Mwiti, a soft-spoken man in his forties, took the stand. His voice shook as he recounted how his wife fell under Mackenzie’s spell a story that mirrored those of many shattered families.

“I used to carry the TV remote everywhere just to stop her from watching Mackenzie’s preaching,” Mwiti said. “But it didn’t help. She left home with our five children, pregnant with the sixth.”

When news broke of mass graves in Shakahola, Mwiti said he prayed day and night that his family would be among the rescued. But his hope was crushed when authorities confirmed that his wife and all six children including a one-month-old baby had vanished.

“Later, a DNA test showed one of the rescued children was mine,” he said tearfully. “I’ve left everything to the court now. All I want is justice.”

His story drew visible emotion from both the prosecution and members of the public gallery, highlighting the devastating ripple effects of Mackenzie’s so-called ministry.

A Nation Still Demanding Answers

The Shakahola tragedy remains one of Kenya’s darkest moments a chilling reminder of how faith, when twisted by manipulation, can destroy lives. The ODPP described the ongoing trial as “a window into the machinery of indoctrination and death” that left hundreds dead through starvation, torture, and deception.

As the proceedings continue, Mackenzie remains defiant, occasionally smiling during testimony a gesture that continues to anger victims’ families.

Outside the courthouse, placards reading “Justice for Shakahola Victims” fluttered in the coastal breeze as survivors and relatives demanded accountability not just for Mackenzie, but for those who enabled his cult’s operations.

The case, now entering a critical phase, is expected to take several more weeks as prosecutors line up additional witnesses including survivors, police officers, and forensic experts in a bid to piece together the full picture of what really happened in the Shakahola forest.