Shakahola massacre: Sweet tongue was Makenzi's main asset as he lured followers to death

Paul Makenzi at Good News International Church in 2019. Makenzi's greatest asset was his ability to determine what listeners wanted to hear. [File, Standard]

It was a life filled with hope but later deception crept in. It became a struggle for survival for hundreds of Pastor Paul Makenzi's followers who had flocked into Shakahola forest in Kilifi County starting in 2020, according to a former high-ranking member of Good News International Church Salama Masha.

Ms Masha said she witnessed the burial of eight children who had starved to death in April. This was before she escaped, she said.