Pastor’s daughter reveals ‘dark secrets’ of Mackenzie's church
Some of the accused in the case involving Pastor Paul Mackenzie during the hearing on Monday. Photo/ODPP
A pastor’s daughter has given a chilling inside account of life under controversial preacher Paul Nthege Mackenzie, exposing how the Good News International (GNI) church slowly started spreading the doctrine of rejecting schools, jobs, and modern hospitals.
Testifying virtually in court on Monday, 26-year-old Brenda Muhati Mwaura--daughter of Pastor John Mwaura--said her family joined Mackenzie’s church when she was just 13.
The preacher, she recalled, warned followers to “abandon worldly distractions and prepare for the coming of Jesus,” declaring hospitals and education ungodly.
Her father supported these teachings, forcing her to drop out of school in Form Two.
“Mackenzie praised me as an example of a faithful believer who had forsaken education for God,” she told the court.
The church, she added, operated branches in Makongeni, Nairobi, and Malindi.
Brenda worked as a camera operator for Times TV, GNI’s media wing, which produced Mackenzie’s fiery end-times sermons.
“Several youths, including editors Sidi Smart and Michael Mweri, dropped out of school to work there,” she said.
At 18, Brenda broke away from the church after realising she had been manipulated.
Years later, when she posted warnings about the cult on Facebook and tagged the Directorate of Criminal Investigations (DCI), she received threats.
“Two people called me, one claiming to be a KDF officer, warning me to stop talking about the church. I feared for my life,” she said, adding that she later recorded a statement with the DCI.
Before the cult’s collapse, Mackenzie sold church property, including vehicles and recording equipment.
“I was terrified. I saw it coming,” Brenda said, noting that her father later severed ties with Mackenzie.
Detective Sergeant Joseph Yator, who investigated the Shakahola massacre, told the court that the case began after a boy rescued from the forest revealed how his parents forced him to fast on Mackenzie’s orders--leading to the deaths of two siblings.
Police later rescued more victims and arrested several suspects.
Yator presented 89 photographs in court showing evidence from the forest, including CDs, books, and pamphlets used to spread the extremist ideology.
He also revealed that Mackenzie had once sued Brenda for defamation in 2022, accusing her of falsely claiming he was “burying people in the bush”--allegations that were later proven true.
Dr Laurence Nderi, CEO of Mathari Teaching and Referral Hospital, testified that mental evaluations found Mackenzie and 30 others fit to stand trial.
The Shakahola massacre, which claimed hundreds of lives, remains one of Kenya’s darkest cult tragedies.
The trial continues, with prosecutors expected to call more witnesses in the coming weeks.
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