The murder trial of controversial preacher Paul Mackenzie took a significant turn on Wednesday after forensic evidence and survivor testimony presented at the Mombasa High Court linked deaths at Kwa Binzaro to teachings associated with his church.
In proceedings before Hon. Lady Justice Wendy Kagendo, the Office of the Director of Public Prosecutions presented testimony from forensic expert Inspector Emoru Phillip Awuol, who detailed how investigators handled evidence collected from exhumation sites and related locations.
Mr. Awuol told the court that his team conducted โsystematic evidence collection, preservation, and analysis,โ documenting samples that would later support the identification of bodies recovered from the site.
His report, dated August 12, 2025, referenced documentation and sampling conducted at Malindi Hospital and other locations across the country to aid DNA identification efforts.
The court further heard that on August 15, 2025, investigators working alongside the Kenya Red Cross Society documented affected families to facilitate DNA matching.
According to the forensic expert, โinternationally accepted DNA sampling procedures were followed,โ with photography serving as a key method of documentation. He added that โa total of 46 swab samples were collected and later handed over to the Government Chemist for analysis.โ
The prosecution also presented testimony from a protected witness identified as K.K., who described her long association with Mackenzieโs Good News International church.
She told the court she had followed its teachings for more than a decade, embracing doctrines centered on the end times while rejecting formal education, medical care, and other aspects of mainstream life.
K.K. testified that followers were encouraged to isolate themselves and relocate to Shakahola, where they were told to spiritually prepare for what they believed was the imminent end of the world.
โShe fully immersed her family in religious instruction,โ the prosecution told the court, adding that the witness later attended meetings in Malindi where followers were persuaded to engage in prolonged fasting and prayer โwith the promise of meeting Jesus.โ
Her testimony painted a troubling picture of strict control over followers at Kwa Binzaro, where she said individuals were confined under harsh conditions. K.K. eventually managed to escape and later gave evidence that now forms a key part of the prosecutionโs case.
The prosecution team is being led by Deputy Directors of Public Prosecutions Joseph Kimanthi and Jami Yamina, alongside Principal Prosecution Counsels Victor Owiti, Betty Rubia, and Frank Sirima, as the high-profile case continues.
