How security guard sold land and spent lavishly with Makenzi

Enos Amanya testifying for the second day before Mombasa Chief Magistrate Alex Ithuku, on February 25, 2026. [Kelvin Karani, Standard]

Paul Makenzi’s trusted security guard-turned-foe, Enos Amanya, boarded a flight with his wife to Shakahola immediately after selling his land in Nairobi’s Kasarani area.

After selling his land for Sh700,000, Amanya said he felt rich and generous, spending the money on food for Makenzi and his associates. He had been promised another parcel of land in Shakahola.

Amanya said he booked a Jambojet flight to Malindi, where he lived lavishly with Makenzi and George Mwaura, a pastor overseeing Makenzi’s Good News International Ministries Makongeni branch in Nairobi.

On Thursday, Amanya told Chief Magistrate Alex Ithuku that Mwaura duped him into booking the flight.

The 51-year-old father of seven — once a waste collection businessman in Nairobi and a homeowner in Kasarani — lost all his wealth in his quest for a new life in Shakahola.

In Nairobi, Amanya attended the Pentecostal church and harboured ambitions of becoming a pastor.

He accused Mwaura of conning him out of Sh100,000, which he said he paid for the land he had been promised in Shakahola. Amanya also sent Makenzi Sh100,000 to buy land on his behalf.

However, Mwaura told the magistrate that all the money was spent on food, building materials and flights.

Mwaura claimed that Amanya wanted to experience air travel, which cost him Sh24,000.

“Amanya asked me to book a flight for them to Malindi and use the balance from the Sh100,000. I booked the flight for him and his wife, and I accompanied them with my wife,” said Mwaura.

Amanya said he initially believed he needed a passport to board a plane, but Mwaura informed him that passports were only required for international flights and that a national identity card would suffice.

He said he sent Mwaura Sh100,000 to purchase land worth Sh70,000, as well as building materials and foodstuffs for use in Shakahola.

Amanya accompanied Mwaura to a market where they bought food worth Sh16,000. The food was sent to Malindi by bus.

He said he had decided to relocate to Shakahola to escape what he described as the “sinful city life”.

“After Covid-19, I resolved that I no longer wanted to live in Nairobi and intended to sell my plot and relocate upcountry. However, Mwaura informed me that land was available for sale at Shakahola Chakama Ranch. I visited, saw it and decided to purchase it,” he said.

Mwaura, however, told the court that they were seeking land for farming and settled on Shakahola, where they bought parcels alongside Makenzi. He said he purchased land for those relocating from Nairobi, while Makenzi bought land for people from Malindi and other regions.

“Amanya sold his land in Nairobi and sent me Sh100,000 after we informed him that land had been found in Shakahola. From the Sh100,000, we bought food worth Sh16,000, a dam liner, building posts and paid for the flight. We spent the entire Sh100,000,” said Mwaura.

Amanya claimed that despite paying twice, neither Makenzi nor Mwaura delivered the promised land.

“Mwaura later told me he had approached village elders to buy land, but they informed him that Makenzi was only leasing land and not purchasing it, and that we would be evicted,” said Amanya.

Amanya entered a plea bargain with the prosecution and pleaded guilty before the magistrate’s court, admitting to killing 43 people in Shakahola. He is expected to be convicted on his own plea.

On January 18, 2026, Amanya also confessed to killing 191 people in a murder case before the High Court.

He told the court that his wife introduced him to Makenzi in 2019 and that he was drawn to his teachings about the second coming of Jesus and his rejection of formal education and healthcare.

Amanya eventually settled in Shakahola, where he lost all his money, six children and his wife.

He also testified against his wife and his younger brother, David Amanya, who are charged alongside Makenzi.