The Director of Public Prosecutions (DPP) has presented fresh evidence in the ongoing Kwa Binzaro murder trial, with a prosecution witness narrating how police discovered a body, more than five suspected graves and human skeletal remains at a homestead linked to one of the accused persons.
Gona Kalama, the 21st witness in this case, told the Shanzu Law Court he accompanied security officers to the homestead of Shallyne Anindo, one of eight accused persons facing charges relating to the deaths of 52 people.
The Kwa Binzaro murder trial is a high-profile Kenyan court case involving controversial preacher Paul Mackenzie and several co-accused individuals, who face charges including murder, manslaughter, and crimes against humanity.
The case centres on a second wave of extremist religious indoctrination and forced fasting linked to Mackenzie's Good News International (GNI) church.
Prosecutors state that despite Mackenzie already being imprisoned over the catastrophic Shakahola forest massacre, a coordinated resurgence occurred between January and July 2025 at a site in Kwa Binzaro village near Malindi.
Appearing before Senior Principal Magistrate Mwanamkuu Sudi, the witness narrated to the court a series of events that eventually led to the discovery of the remains in the Kwa Binzaro area.
He explained that the events began in 2025 when he encountered three strangers, two men and a woman, at his uncle’s homestead. He was informed that they were looking for land to purchase and were waiting to meet the village elder.
Later on July 18, 2025, while grazing cattle in Bofu, Charo received a call from his wife informing him that a visitor had arrived at their home seeking contacts of the area chief and village elder.
The visitor spoke to Charo, who shared the requested contacts through his wife and subsequently informed the village elder about the visitor.
The witness said his wife later told him that she had allowed the visitor to use her phone to contact his relatives. The relatives subsequently called her and spoke of a church in Binzaro Forest where people were allegedly undertaking prolonged prayer and fasting until death, with a female pastor said to be in charge.
Charo later received a call from the Assistant County Commissioner (ACC) for Langobaya Division, who asked whether he knew a man named Mudzomba and whether he was aware of a church at his residence.
After saying he was unaware of any church, the witness was directed to establish whether there was one in the area.
Accompanied by two Nyumba Kumi members, Charo proceeded to Mudzomba’s residence. Mudzomba directed them to a nearby woman who had purchased land and allegedly owned a church.
They proceeded to the woman’s homestead, about 1.5 kilometres away, where they found a fenced compound with a locked gate.
“I recognised the woman as Anindo, whom he had previously seen at his uncle’s homestead among people looking for land,” Charo told the court.
After explaining that he was working with the county government, Charo was allowed into the compound.
Anindo told him that four employees guarded and maintained the property and that she did not reside there. She said she had only come to check on a sick employee and take him to hospital.
The witness said the employee appeared pale and weak. He also photographed Anindo’s identification document before leaving and informing her that he would return the following day.
Charo subsequently briefed the ACC, who later returned with security officers, including police from Langobaya Police Station. After Anindo delayed in opening the gate, officers broke it open and entered the compound.
On July 19, 2025, Charo returned as the search continued. The team noticed marks on the ground suggesting that something had been dragged. Following the trail, they discovered the body of an adult male wearing only underwear and covered with a leso.
Further searches uncovered more than five suspected graves and human skeletal remains, the witness testified.
The police recovered the body and remains, while Charo was directed to record his statement at the DCI offices in Malindi.
