Shakahola 'deadly' fast: Witness tells court rescuers faced threats from armed men

A witness in the trial of controversial pastor Paul Makenzi on Thursday told a court how they rescued two frail naked women from a fasting bay in the thicket of Shakahola in Malindi.

Kalume Fondo told Mombasa Chief Magistrate Alex Ituku that the two women’s legs were tied together with a cloth when they found them inside the forest. He was accompanied by the police during the rescue.

Makenzi, who was the head of Good International Church, his wife, and 93 others are facing several cases in various courts in Mombasa and Malindi. Yesterday Fodo was testifying in a manslaughter case against the 95.

Kalume, who is Makenzi's neighbour, told the court that before they rescued the two women on April 13, 2023, from the thickets of Shakahola, they encountered resistance from four men who were armed with machetes.

Makenzi, his wife, and 94 others have denied that between 2022 and 2023, they killed 238. The suspects are remanded at Shimo La Tewa Prison.

"Before April 13, 2023, I had gone to Shakahola to show some people land I was selling when we heard cries from the forest seeking help," Kalume told the trial magistrate.

The prosecution was led by state lawyer Alex Jamii and the accused persons were represented by lawyer Lawrence Obonyo.

The witness recalled how their effort to rescue the two women from the pain and hunger was thwarted by four men armed with machetes.

"When we heard the two women asking for help. We looked for the location where their sound was coming, and as we approached the area, we met some four healthy strong men armed with machetes,” said Kalume.

Kalume recalled how his close friend, Lewis Thoya, told him that some people were fasting in the place until death to go and see Jesus.

The witness from the same area said after calling off the demarcation of land for the buyers he had taken to the place following hostility, he reported the matter to the area Chief, Mr Raymond.

"Raymond advised me to report the matter to the police after we discovered there were several frail people in different locations in the forest over the issue of fasting he had heard from his Thoya," said Kalume.

Kalume told the court that he went to Malindi Central Police where he reported the matter to a CID, a Mr Wariga, who requested him to take them to the place the following day.

"On reaching the place in the company of police officers we went straight to the place deep in the forest where the legs of the two women were tied. We removed them from the place on makeshift stretchers to a police vehicle which later took them to Malindi hospital,” said the witness.

Shadrack Baya Yaa who sold Makenzi 10,000 acres of land four years ago at Sh50,000 recalled that after he sold to the self-proclaimed pastor, his business at Lang Baya Trading Centre thrived.

"I was surprised that after Makenzi built his church in the place, my business improved until I started a posho mill and cereals shop,” said Baya.

Baya said many new faces used to go to his shop in 2020 but that abruptly changed in early 2023 when I was not seeing many customers.

"In 2021 after Makenzi came, I started seeing new faces I could not recognize. Some of them had clean saved hair while women had long dresses which was unusual in my village," he said.

He, however, said that in 2023 things started changing because no more people were coming to the shop.

"In February 2023 I started seeing my business declining because the new faces who used to come to the ship and posho mill declined," said Baya.

He insisted most of the customers were new faces in  the area after the arrival of Makenzi. He testified that as a local he knew everybody in the surrounding village because they had grown together and lived there for many years.

Baya later learned that some children had died in the place following a report he got from one of his friends who was always on Makenzi's farm.

He said after the matter became serious he involved the chief and the area chief who consequently toured the farm and found that what was being said was true.

"We later reported the matter to the police who took part in the rescue of some people who were found frail and emaciated before being taken to Malindi Hospital," said Baya.