Bi Brenda Mwaura, a former follower of Pastor Paul Mackenzie, testified in Mombasa court about threats she received after warning of Shakahola killings. She described being drawn in by apocalyptic teachings and her role in promoting them. Despite fears, she revealed details of the church's doctrines and internal conflicts.
Bi Brenda Mwaura, a key participant in the Good News International (GNI) church and follower of Pastor Paul Mackenzie, testified before the Mombasa court yesterday. As the main complainant in the case involving Mackenzie and 95 other suspects facing 238 murder charges, she recounted how she was swayed by Mackenzie's complex end-times teachings. “I was chosen by Pastor Paul Mackenzie's complex teachings about the end of the world. I saw the disaster coming,” she said.
Mwaura recorded, edited, and distributed Mackenzie's sermons via Times TV. In November 2022, four months before the Shakahola killings were uncovered, she posted on Facebook claiming Mackenzie was “killing people and burying them on his farm,” tagging the Director of Criminal Investigations (DCI). She learned this from her father, a former GNI preacher who transported flowers from Nairobi to Shakahola and clashed with Mackenzie over doctrinal differences. “I don't ignore that warning. I got information from my father that people were dying on the farm. He told me Mackenzie was killing people and no one was helping. People were not allowed to leave,” she added.
The next day, the post was removed after Mackenzie visited DCI offices in Malindi to seek action against her. Mwaura received threats from two people, one a GNI member connecting Mackenzie to the outside world. “All I got were threats from Mackenzie's people,” she said. “They told me I didn't know what I was posting and that they would follow me.” She feared reporting to police due to risks of arrest or disappearance.
She joined GNI at age 14 at the Makongeni branch in Nairobi, where her family was taught that work, education, medicine, and cosmetics were sins. She dropped out of Form 1 and never returned. Later, Mackenzie used her example against education. During COVID-19, Mackenzie sold church assets, including a vehicle. Mwaura grew tired of the teachings and left.