Friday, July 26, 2024 -The 7th prosecution witness in the Shakahola massacre terrorism-related case described how he was forced to aid his one-and-a-half-year-old daughter in fasting to death.
Testifying before Shanzu Senior Principal Magistrate Hon. Leah Juma, the protected witness revealed that he initially tried to protect his child. However, he eventually succumbed to pressure from elders who were enforcing the fast and monitoring the deaths.
These elders were reportedly tasked by Paul
Nthege Mackenzie, the prime suspect in the Shakahola massacre, to implement his
radical teachings among his followers.
The witness recounted that he had no choice but to deprive his daughter of food
and water, leading to her death after 15 days. He also shared that his wife
died after enduring a ten-day starvation period in a makeshift tent where she
had relocated.
For two days—Wednesday and Thursday—the witness provided a
harrowing account of how Mackenzie's radical teachings resulted in the deaths
of over 400 people in the vast Shakahola forest.
He explained that many
children died between January and February 2023 following Mackenzie's
declaration of a fasting period. Initially voluntary, the fasting regime was
later made mandatory by Mackenzie. The witness also noted that Mackenzie
personally conducted burials for children who succumbed to starvation.
The witness added that he attempted to escape but was deterred by fear of
capture and a lack of resources. After his child’s death, his wife moved to a
makeshift tent in compliance with an order requiring fasting followers to
retreat deep into the forest to evade police detection. At that time, police
and families were actively searching for missing loved ones.
Following his wife's death, the witness told the court that he spent his
remaining time in the forest transporting bodies from makeshift tents to burial
sites and digging graves. He testified that after transporting these bodies, he
began fasting but occasionally broke the fast by consuming honey and water.
The witness made these distressing revelations during his examination-in-chief,
conducted by the prosecution team led by Peter Kiprop, Jami Yamina, Anthony
Musyoka, Victor Owiti, Betty Rubia, and Peris Ogega.
The court adjourned the hearing until September 30, 2024, with further
proceedings scheduled from October 1 to October 3, 2024, and October 28 to
October 31, 2024.
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