Mackenzie co-accused pleads guilty to 191 murders

The Director of Public Prosecutions has secured a major breakthrough in the Shakahola massacre trial after one of the principal suspects changed his plea and admitted to his role in the deaths and burials of more than 191 people, the majority of them children.

Enos Amanya, also known as Hallelujah, one of the 29 accused persons facing charges over the Shakahola killings, pleaded guilty to 191 counts of murder before the High Court in Mombasa, ending nearly 22 months of denial since the case was first filed.

The court was told that the offences were committed over a prolonged period between January 2021 and September 2023.

Yego seeks golden continental exit in Accra showpiece Athletics

TOUCHLINE COLUMN: Sh42.4m storm exposes fragile foundations of Kenyan football governance Football

The guilty plea marks a significant milestone for the prosecution in one of Kenya’s most complex and disturbing criminal cases, which seeks to expose the criminal enterprise behind the mass deaths linked to self-styled preacher Paul Nthenge Mackenzie in the Shakahola area.

Appearing before Justice Diana Kavedza, Amanya admitted that he acted jointly with Mackenzie and other co-accused persons in what the prosecution described as a coordinated and deliberate scheme that resulted in the deaths of hundreds of followers through starvation, abuse and coercion.

During the reading of facts, the court heard the names of 11 murdered children, including Seth Hinzano Ngala, Evabra Dito Ngala, Sifa Edison, Nathan Mathu, Neema Robert, Joyce Amani, Stacy Hadama, Elna Mpa, Ejah Nyaleso, Sara Peter and Patience Kahindi.

Other victims were identified through initials, gender and the specific grave sites from which their bodies were later exhumed.

The prosecution, led by Assistant Director of Public Prosecutions Jami Yamina, presented the facts supported by a confession recorded by Superintendent of Police Martin Ndegwa.

The prosecution team also includes Assistant Director of Public Prosecutions Ngina Mutua, alongside Principal Prosecution Counsels Victor Owiti and Betty Rubia.

The court heard that Amanya served as a grave digger and provided security within the Shakahola forest, enforcing Mackenzie’s teachings and ensuring strict obedience among followers.

Prosecutors explained that the sect adopted coded language to normalise death, referring to bodies as “fertiliser”, burials as “planting”, and dying as “taking a jet” to meet Jesus.

Followers reportedly shouted “Amina” to affirm Mackenzie’s instructions. In a chilling admission, Amanya told the court that some of the victims were his own children.

He confessed to witnessing the deaths of his children, Ejah Nyaleso and Senaida and taking part in their burial together with his wife, Anne Anyoso Alukhwe, who is also among the accused.

He said only one child, Izrael Veronica, survived after rejecting the teachings and leaving Shakahola in search of employment.

The prosecution further revealed that as time went on, Mackenzie declared that entry into heaven required absolute obedience, with dissenters subjected to brutal punishment.

Those who resisted were allegedly tied with binding wire and beaten with sticks and tree branches until death.

With the consent of all parties, the court extended its sittings beyond 4 pm to conclude the plea-taking and the reading of facts. After confirming that the facts were accurate, Justice Kavedza convicted Amanya on his own plea of guilty.

At the request of the DPP, the court directed the Coast Regional Probation and Aftercare Service to prepare a comprehensive victim impact assessment report to guide sentencing, including consideration of the surviving child.

The officer in charge of Shimo La Tewa Maximum Security Prison was also ordered to isolate the convict for his own safety. Pre-sentencing hearings for victims’ witnesses are scheduled to run from February 2 to February 6, 2026.

Following the conviction, the prosecution formally closed its case after calling 120 witnesses, producing more than 500 exhibits and conducting six months of intensive hearings, underscoring the DPP’s commitment to securing accountability and justice for the Shakahola victims and their families.