NAIROBI, Kenya, Jan 9 – The Director of Public Prosecutions (DPP) has formally closed the prosecution case against Paul Nthenge Mackenzie, the alleged mastermind of the Shakahola massacre, and 96 co-accused, marking the end of a painstaking phase that exposed a decade-long network of religious radicalization.
The accused face charges related to radicalization and organized crime at the Shanzu Law Courts, with two other cases involving murder and manslaughter still ongoing in Mombasa.
This is the second DPP-led case against Mackenzie, following the closure of a case involving crimes against children in September 2025.
The prosecution case, which began on July 8, 2024, called 96 witnesses, including survivors, medical experts, forensic specialists, and investigators.
Nearly 500 exhibits were presented, demonstrating that the Shakahola deaths were not accidental or voluntary, but the result of systematic indoctrination, isolation, and control.
Principal Magistrate Leah Juma closed the prosecution case after hearing testimonies from key investigators, including Chief Inspectors Raphael Wanjohi and Peter Mwangi, Inspector Onyango Owade, and Detective Constable Alfred Mwatika.
Investigators testified that Mackenzie used the Good News International (GNI) Church to radicalize followers through distorted biblical teachings over more than a decade.
Chief Inspector Wanjohi said Mackenzie exploited media platforms, seminars, crusades, YouTube channels, and WhatsApp groups to spread his ideology.
Between 2020 and 2023, followers were instructed to cut ties with society, abandon education, reject healthcare, and withdraw from state institutions. Parents were persuaded to relocate children to Shakahola under false pretences.
