Breakthrough in Shakahola massacre case as suspect pleads guilty to 191 murders

The Director of Public Prosecutions (DPP) has recorded a major breakthrough in the Shakahola massacre trial after one of the principal suspects changed his plea and confessed to participating in the deaths and burials of more than 191 victims, most of them children.

Enos Amanya, also known as Hallelujah, one of 29 accused persons charged over the Shakahola killings, pleaded guilty to 191 counts of murder before the High Court in Mombasa, bringing to an end 22 months of denial since the case commenced.

The court heard that the offences were committed between January 2021 and September 2023.

The guilty plea marks a significant milestone for the DPP in one of Kenya’s most complex criminal prosecutions, which seeks to unravel the network behind the mass deaths linked to self-styled preacher Paul Mackenzie that occurred in the Shakahola area.

Appearing before Justice Diana Kavedza, Amanya admitted that he acted in concert with Mackenzie and other co-accused persons in what the prosecution described as a coordinated and deliberate scheme that led to the deaths of hundreds of followers through starvation, abuse and coercion.

During the proceedings, the court heard the names of 11 murdered children, while other victims were identified by initials, gender and the grave sites from which their bodies were later exhumed.

The prosecution read out the facts supported by a confession recorded by Superintendent of Police Martin Ndegwa.

The prosecution explained to the court how Amanya served as a grave digger and provided security within the Shakahola forest, enforcing Mackenzie’s teachings and ensuring absolute obedience among followers.

The court was told that the sect used coded language to normalize death, where bodies were referred to as “fertilizer,” burials as “planting,” and dying as “taking a jet” to meet Jesus.

Followers reportedly shouted “Amina” to affirm Mackenzie’s instructions.

Amanya further confessed that his own children were among the victims. He admitted witnessing the deaths of his children, Ejah Nyaleso and Senaida, and participating in their burial alongside his wife, Anne Anyoso Alukhwe, who is also an accused person.

He told the court that only one child, Izrael Veronica, survived after rejecting the teachings and leaving Shakahola to seek employment.

The prosecution also revealed that as time progressed, Mackenzie declared that entry into heaven required total obedience, with dissenters subjected to brutal punishments, including being tied with binding wire and beaten with sticks and tree branches until death.

With the consent of all parties, the court extended sittings beyond 4pm to conclude the plea and reading of facts. After confirming the facts as true, Justice Kavedza convicted Amanya on his own plea of guilty.

At the request of the DPP, the court ordered the Coast Regional Probation and Aftercare Service to prepare a comprehensive victim impact assessment report to guide sentencing, including consideration of the surviving child.

The officer in charge of Shimo La Tewa Maximum Security Prison was directed to isolate the convict for his safety.

Pre-sentencing hearings for victims’ witnesses will run from February 2 to February 6, 2026.

Following the conviction, the prosecution formally closed its case after calling 120 witnesses, producing more than 500 exhibits and conducting six months of intensive hearings.