Self-confessed Shakahola 'killer' turned state witness in plea-bargain

Self-confessed Shakahola massacre perpetrator Enos Amanya Ngala, alias Hallelujah, will be turned into state witness following a plea-bargain deal with prosecutors.

Amanya on Thursday told Mombasa chief magistrate Alex Ithuku that he was ready to plead guilty to all the 238 counts of manslaughter, admitting his role in the deaths linked to the Shakahola killings in Kilifi county.

The confession came barely a month after he pleaded guilty to 191 counts of murder before the High Court in Mombasa.

Under the plea-bargain agreement dated February 18, 2026, and approved by the Office of the Director of Public Prosecutions (ODPP), the state will withdraw 195 of the charges initially preferred against Amanya in the Chief Magistrate’s Court.

Amanya will now face 43 selected counts and is expected to testify for the State in related proceedings, including the Kwa Bi Nnzaro case that is also linked controversial preacher Paul Mackenzie.

Senior Assistant Director of Public Prosecutions Jami Yamina told the court that the agreement was entered into voluntarily and with full understanding of its terms.

“The document, which is a plea agreement, is dated 18th of February 2026… and it has been signed by the accused himself,” Yamina said.

He added that Amanya’s advocate, Kelvin Lisanza, had explained each term to him (Amanya) in Swahili and confirmed that he fully understood the consequences.

Yamina further told the court that the agreement had been approved after consultations with investigators and with family members of the deceased.

He confirmed that he personally spoke to Amanya’s daughter before signing the agreement and took her views into consideration.

The 43 counts Amanya will plead guilty to were carefully selected, the prosecution said.

“They represent victims positively identified through DNA analysis, including some of his own children. The counts also include instances where identified victims were buried in graves alongside unidentified bodies, which have been incorporated into the charges,” he said.

As part of the bargain, the state will also withdraw a case before the Tononoka Children’s Court where Amanya was charged alongside 38 others, including Mackenzie.

The prosecution indicated that once the plea agreement is adopted, it will notify the trial court so that Amanya’s name can be expunged from the charge sheet.

In turning state witness, Amanya has agreed to fully cooperate with investigators by recording a detailed witness statement and testifying in court.

He has waived his right to remain silent and will be subject to cross-examination.

He will also testify in the Kwa Binzaro case, described as part of the same series of transactions as the Shakahola events, and has agreed to submit to cross-examination in a pending radicalisation case in a Shanzu court if required.

On sentencing, Yamina told the court that the prosecution and defence would make joint submissions recommending an 11-year sentence.

The proposal includes two years in custody for rehabilitation and psychosocial support, followed by six years under probation supervision.

The remaining period accounts for nearly three years already spent in custody since his arrest.

However, the court retains full discretion in determining the final sentence and may consider victim impact statements and other reports.

Last month, before High Court Judge Diana Mochache, Amanya pleaded guilty to 191 counts of murder committed between January 2021 and September 2023.

During the proceedings, the names of 11 murdered children were read out in court. They included 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 by initials, gender and grave sites.

Superintendent of Police Martin Ndegwa presented a confession recorded from Amanya.

The prosecution stated that Amanya, together with 29 others, murdered more than 191 children as part of what it described as a suicide pact orchestrated by Mackenzie and his associates.

According to the facts read in court, Amanya served as a grave digger and provided security in Shakahola Forest. In his confession, bodies were referred to as “fertiliser” and burial as “planting,” while death was described as “taking a jet” to meet Jesus.

Amanya admitted witnessing the deaths of some of his own children.

He told the court his first child to die was Aaron Joshua.

He helped his wife carry the body for burial.

The following day, his son Ejah Nyaleso died. He also witnessed the death of his child Senaida, while other children died in his absence.

Only one child, Israel Veronica, survived after refusing to participate and leaving to seek employment.

He further stated that Mackenzie declared that entry into heaven required total obedience and that those who declined were punished. The punishments involved tying victims with binding wire and beating them with sticks and tree branches until death.

Justice Mochache convicted him on his own plea of guilty and directed that a victim impact assessment be conducted, including consideration of his surviving child.

The prosecution had presented 120 witnesses, more than 500 exhibits and conducted six months of back-to-back hearings before closing its case.