Former OCS claims wild animals killed some of Makenzi followers

Homicide detectives carrying bodies of cult victims in Shakahola Forest in Kilifi County on May 14, 2023. [Marioon Kithi, Standard]

Some of the followers of controversial preacher Paul Makenzi were killed by wild animals from Chakama Ranch Phase 3, a former senior police officer has told a court in Mombasa.

Former Lango Baya OCS Hamara Hassan told Chief Magistrate Alex Ithuku that there were several elephant attacks at Chakama Ranch Phase 3 where Makenzi and his followers had settled.

In a cross-examination by Makenzi's lawyer Lawrence Obonyo, Hassan said that he responded to two separate incidents where elephants had killed two people.

He was testifying in a case where Makenzi and 94 other accused persons are facing 238 counts of manslaughter charges.

The OCS, who worked at Lango Baya from 2013 to 2019, was in charge of the security of the Shakahola area. He said Chakama Ranch Phase 3 had the deadliest wild animals.

He told the court that other worshippers of Good News International were victims of attacks from hippos and crocodiles because the area regarded as Kwa Makenzi was inside the Shakahola forest.

"I retrieved two people killed by elephants. Other people were killed by hippos and crocodiles. It was not just an isolated case," said Hassan, who admitted that there were also bloody land conflicts in the area.

At the same time, the defence counsels said other victims died of Covid-19 because they did not adhere to the Ministry of Health protocols during the pandemic.

Defence counsel Lawrence Obonyo established that none of Makenzi's followers ever wore face masks during the 2020 Covid-19 pandemic when the country was in total lockdown.

During cross-examination by Obonyo, a 17-year-old State witness told the court that although they never wore masks during the Covid-19 pandemic "but no one suffered from flu".

The witness confirmed that they were attacked by people from outside the ranch, forcing them to arm themselves and fight back.

The OCS admitted there was a conflict that resulted in violence between Makenzi's followers and the locals who lived at the shopping centre outside the ranch. He said the attacks occurred early in 2023.