Prosecution witness recants statement in Shakahola massacre case

Some of the 64 survivors of the Shakahola massacre appeared before Shanzu Law Courts on Aug 4, 2023. [Robert Menza, Standard]

The main prosecution witness in the Shakahola massacre trial of controversial preacher Paul Makenzi over 239 manslaughter charges has recanted her statement to the police and claimed that she lied to the state counsel.

The witness who is under witness protection told the court that her mother asked her to lie to the police to save her from prosecution.

During cross-examination by Makenzi's lawyer Lawrence Obonyo, the 17-year-old codenamed GH said she lied that her mother gave her food and water to sustain her.

She told Chief Magistrate Alex Ithuku that she only witnessed one person die contrary to the six she alleged to have witnessed starve to death.

"The testimony in court is mine but what I told the police was a lie. I lied to the police and counsel because my mother told me to protect her and not to be jailed. Today in court I am not defending or protecting anyone," said GH.

Yesterday, she testified that she fasted for 38 days and not 30 days as she had told the police and prosecution.

On Tuesday, GH positively identified Makenzi, her mother, and 81 other suspects who she said lived in Shakahola forest and participated in the fast.

The teenager said they went to Shakahola forest on their own volition and despite having cash, they never left until they were arrested by police.

However, GH said that Makenzi did not force anyone to fast and some of the victims went to him seeking interpretation of dreams of fasting and praying.

"I did not take any pledge to die neither did I see anyone take the oath," she said

She denied that she was among those who had dreams of fasting and praying.

"Most of the people came to him seeking to have their dreams of fasting and praying interpreted but I did not," she said.

GH denied allegations that the people died of Covid-19 because they never wore masks and the deaths occurred between 2020 at the height of the pandemic.

"We were not wearing masks in 2020 but I did not see anyone suffer from flu," she said.

Obonyo had alleged that the people in Shakahola could have contracted coronavirus, and they could not leave because there was a lockdown and no hospital nearby.

GH admitted that there was an attack on Makenzi's followers by the locals and they retaliated to stop aggression from people she referred to as outsiders.

"There was an attack on Shakahola by persons from outside. Then the people in Shakahola organised to stop any attacks in the area," she said.