Nairobi — The office of the director of public prosecution has presented fresh testimony seeking to link religious teachings, radicalisation and prolonged fasting to the disappearance of several families who travelled to the Malindi area in the months preceding the alleged deaths at Kwa Binzaro.
Five prosecution witnesses testified before Shanzu Senior Principal Magistrate Mwanamkuu Sudi, giving accounts of alleged religious indoctrination, the abandonment of formal education and medical treatment, prolonged fasting and the disappearance of followers said to have been influenced by religious teachings.
The evidence forms part of the Director of Public Prosecutions' case against eight suspects, including controversial preacher Paul Mackenzie, who are facing charges arising from the deaths of 52 people and allegations of radicalisation.
Principal Prosecution Counsel Betty Rubia led the prosecution during the hearing.
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One of the witnesses, Kenya Police officer Isaiah Barasa Syakilo, told the court that authorities were alerted to a compound in the Binzaro area of Makongeni Sub-location, Chakama Location, where followers were allegedly being subjected to radicalisation and starvation disguised as prolonged religious fasting.
Barasa, a police officer attached to Langobaya Police Station, said he visited the premises on July 18, 2025, alongside the Officer Commanding Station, the Assistant County Commissioner for Langobaya Division and the area chief.
The team was later joined by Makongeni Assistant Chief John Baya and villagers who led them to what authorities suspected was a crime scene associated with accused person Shallyne Anindo.
The officer said the team had received information that Ms Anindo had allegedly radicalised followers and subjected them to starvation in the name of prolonged fasting.
Barasa described the compound as enclosed by barbed wire and thorny shrubs, with a gate that was locked from the inside.
He said a villager, identified as Gona Charo, attempted to persuade Ms Anindo to open the gate but was unsuccessful.
According to the witness, Ms Anindo claimed that she could not open the gate because the keys had been misplaced.
The authorities eventually forced their way into the compound, only to find it deserted.
The officers recovered a blue motorcycle, a blue bicycle, a wheelbarrow and assorted clothing from several houses within the compound, the court heard.
Family disappears after preaching
The court also heard from Meresia Adhiambo Juma, who testified about the disappearance of her son, Stephen Ochieng Juma, after a group of people visited their family home for what she described as a religious preaching session.
Ms Juma told the court that five people four men and a woman visited their home in February 2025.She identified the woman as Ann and one of the men as Kahindi.
According to the witness, Ann encouraged the family to allow their children to "go to Jesus", claiming that she had already sacrificed her own children to Jesus.
The group allegedly encouraged followers to travel into the wilderness in Malindi, pray to die and subsequently go to heaven.
The visitors also allegedly preached against formal education, seeking medical treatment and attending churches, the witness told the court.
Ms Juma said that weeks after the visit, Stephen and two other people disappeared for about three days.
In March 2025, Stephen disappeared again, this time together with his wife Rehema, his brother-in-law, Vivian, and Vivian's 10-year-old son.
Their phones were switched off, leaving the family unable to establish their whereabouts.The family later learnt that they had travelled to Malindi.
The testimony forms part of the prosecution's attempt to establish the circumstances under which people allegedly came under the influence of religious teachings before disappearing.
Children withdrawn from school
The court also heard evidence concerning the disappearance of another family, with prosecution witnesses Titus Omondi Olum and Japheth Lenox Karim testifying about Seth Okinyi Olum, his wife Emily Adoyo Olum and their four children.
The witnesses told the court that Seth withdrew his children from school and subsequently resigned from his employment.
The prosecution presented the changes as having occurred in the context of religious teachings that allegedly discouraged formal education and promoted the belief that the end of the world was approaching.
Karim told the court that his father had followed teachings associated with Pastor Paul Mackenzie. He further testified that his father believed the Government represented the "beast" referred to in the Book of Revelation.
Karim said he lost contact with his parents and siblings in April 2025. Two months later, in June, an unidentified caller allegedly contacted him. The caller, according to Karim, first asked whether he was the son of "mtumishi Seth".
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After he confirmed that he was, the caller allegedly told him, "pole wametuacha" before disconnecting. The witness's account added to the prosecution's evidence concerning families who allegedly abandoned their previous lives and travelled to the Malindi area after coming under the influence of religious teachings.
Prosecution case
The evidence is part of a wider prosecution case against eight accused persons, including Mackenzie, over alleged radicalisation and the deaths of 52 people.
The prosecution is seeking to establish the circumstances surrounding the deaths and disappearances and the alleged influence of religious teachings on followers.
The witnesses' accounts are allegations presented in court and will be subject to the full judicial process as the accused persons defend themselves against the charges.
The case has previously attracted significant public attention because of the allegations surrounding religious indoctrination, starvation, and the deaths of followers in the Malindi region. The matter will come up for mention on October 15, 2026.
