Over 120 witnesses lined up in Mackenzie’s Kwa Binzaro case

Cult leader Paul Mackezie and seven other suspects at the High Court in Mombasa on Wednesday.

The prosecution has lined up 128 witnesses and dozens of exhibits to support its case against controversial preacher Paul Nthenge Mackenzie and seven others.

The eight are charged in connection with the Kwa Binzaro massacre, the High Court in Mombasa heard on Wednesday.

Trial judge Justice Wendy Kagendo directed the prosecution to make full disclosure of all evidence to the defence within two weeks before the commencement of the proceedings.

Mackenzie and the seven suspects were at the High Court in Mombasa, charged with several crimes against humanity under international law linked to the alleged killings in Kwa Binzaro.

The accused are Mackenzie alias Mtumishi, Shallyne Anindo Temba alias Ann, Kahindi Kazungu Garama alias Mlewa, Tom Ochieng Mkonwe alias Thomas alias Tomaso, Julius Tuva Luwali, Johnson Gona Richard, Charles Mutua Musee alias Mzee Mutua, and James Kazungu Kahindi alias Ponda alias Baba Bura.

Mackenzie and five of the suspects face 23 counts of murder as a crime against humanity.

The court heard that the six allegedly carried out an unlawful attack that resulted in the deaths of 23 members and followers of the Good News International Church, aged between six months and 18 years.

According to the charge sheet, the accused committed the alleged crimes pursuant to and in furtherance of an organisational policy of the Good News International Church, with knowledge that their actions would result in death.

Justice Kagendo was informed that the genders of the 23 victims could not be established and that they were therefore assigned identifiers.

The alleged offences occurred on unknown dates between January and July 2025 at the Kwa Binzaro area in Chakama location of Magarini subcounty, Kilifi county.

In the alternative, the six face 23 counts of murder.

Two of the accused, Charles Mutua Musee alias Mzee Mutua and James Kazungu Kahindi alias Ponda alias Baba Bura, were each separately charged with one count of accessory after the fact to murder.

The prosecution alleges that Mutua received Julius Tuva Luwali at his home in Kanyaa village in Mwingi subcounty on unknown dates between January and July 2025, to help him evade punishment despite knowing he had committed murder.

James Kazungu Kahindi is accused of assisting Shallyne Anindo Temba, Kahindi Kazungu Garama and Tom Ochieng Mkonwe to evade punishment despite knowing they had committed murder.

The offence was allegedly committed between July 19 and 21, 2025, in the Mtopanga area of Bamburi, Mombasa County.

All eight accused pleaded not guilty to the charges.

Justice Kagendo ordered that Mackenzie be remanded at Shimo la Tewa Prison, while his seven co-accused be held at Malindi GK Prison for two weeks to allow prison authorities to organise their transfer to Shimo la Tewa.

The case will be mentioned on March 18, 2026.

The prosecution team comprises Deputy DPPs Jami Yamina and Joseph Kimanthi, Assistant DPP Ngina Mutua, and Principal Prosecution Counsels Victor Owiti and Betty Rubia.

INSTANT ANALYSIS

The case against controversial preacher Paul Mackenzie signals one of Kenya’s most significant attempts to prosecute alleged mass deaths under international law. By invoking the International Crimes Act (Kenya), prosecutors are framing the alleged killings as crimes against humanity rather than ordinary murder. The plan to present 128 witnesses and dozens of exhibits indicates the scale and complexity of the investigation into the Shakahola Forest deaths.