MOMBASA, Kenya — A forensic expert and a protected witness have given detailed testimony linking deaths at Kwa Binzaro to teachings associated with controversial preacher Paul Mackenzie, as the murder trial continues at the Mombasa High Court.
The Office of the Director of Public Prosecutions (ODPP) presented Inspector Emoru Phillip Awuol, a forensic investigator, who told the court that systematic evidence collection and analysis was carried out in connection with bodies exhumed from suspected crime scenes.
Testifying before Lady Justice Wendy Kagendo, Awuol said investigators conducted documentation and sampling at Malindi Hospital and other locations to support DNA identification of victims.
He told the court that internationally accepted forensic procedures were followed, including photography and structured sample collection. A total of 46 swab samples were obtained and handed over to the Government Chemist for analysis.
According to his testimony, investigators also worked with the Kenya Red Cross Society on August 15, 2025, to document affected families to facilitate DNA matching and identification of victims.
The court also heard emotional testimony from a protected witness identified as K.K., who recounted how she became involved in the Good News International Church and embraced teachings associated with Mackenzie.
K.K. told the court she had been a devoted follower for over a decade, during which she abandoned formal education, medical care, and other social practices in adherence to the church’s doctrines on end times and spiritual preparation.
She testified that followers were encouraged to isolate themselves and relocate to Shakahola, where they were told to prepare for the end of the world through prayer and fasting.
K.K. further narrated how she and her child were later taken to Kwa Binzaro following meetings in Malindi, where they were allegedly confined under strict conditions that included denial of food and water.
She told the court that children attempting to access water were beaten by co-accused individuals, leading to the deaths of at least three minors. She also described scenes of children being restrained before she managed to escape into a nearby forest.
The prosecution is being led by Deputy Directors of Public Prosecutions Joseph Kimanthi and Jami Yamina, alongside Principal Prosecution Counsels Victor Owiti, Betty Rubia, and Frank Sirima.
The case continues as the court evaluates forensic and testimonial evidence in one of Kenya’s most closely watched criminal trials, centred on allegations of extremist religious indoctrination and mass deaths linked to cult-like practices.
