I feared Mackenzie more than death, Shakahola suspect opens up

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Enos Amanya Ngala, alias Haleluya, a key suspect in the Shakahola massacre trial, told a Mombasa court that his conscience, fear, and the weight of overwhelming evidence drove him to finally confess his role in the deaths of hundreds.

Appearing before Chief Magistrate Alex Ithuku on Wednesday, Amanya painted a chilling picture of life inside the Shakahola forest, where blind obedience to controversial preacher Paul Nthenge Mackenzie became a matter of life and death.

He described Mackenzie as a dangerously manipulative leader who denounced prayer, worship, and even the Bible, instructing followers to burn scriptures and promising them “special seats in heaven” if they starved themselves to death.

Mackenzie allegedly declared he would be the last to die, symbolically “closing heaven’s door.”

Amanya revealed that coded language was used to mask the atrocities: “Jeti” meant fasting to death, while “Shujaa” referred to those who had perished.

In a moment that left the courtroom silent, he recounted burying two of his six children himself, before later learning that the other four had also died under the extreme doctrine he had once followed blindly.

His eyes welled with tears as he described the unbearable grief and guilt that haunted him.

He admitted participating in digging graves and burying victims in shallow mass graves, following strict orders from Mackenzie and other co-accused.

The court heard that upon arrest, he initially told a senior GSU officer of his role but was advised to formally present his account before a judicial officer.

He later wrote letters expressing his willingness to admit his involvement, prompting notification to both the prosecution and his lawyers.

The trial, which has gripped the nation, involves Mackenzie and 94 others facing 283 counts of manslaughter.

The prosecution team, led by Deputy Director of Public Prosecutions Jami Yamina, includes Principal Prosecution Counsels Alex Ndiema, Victor Owiti, Betty Rubia, and Yassir Mohamed.

Amanya’s testimony highlighted not only the horrifying scale of the tragedy but also the human cost of blind faith and coercion.

“I stayed silent because I feared Mackenzie more than death,” he said, his voice breaking.

“But conscience won in the end.”