The case of the "Shakahola massacre," which traumatized Kenya in 2023, has reached a decisive stage. Enos Amanya , former right-hand man of self-proclaimed pastor Paul Mackenzie, has chosen to plead guilty to murder before the Mombasa court. His deposition, made public this Tuesday, January 20, sheds light on the methodical organization of this tragedy.

From family man to jailer of the sect

A former entrepreneur in Nairobi, Enos Amanya abandoned everything in 2020 to follow Paul Mackenzie to the Shakahola forest. Promoted to head of security , he oversaw the site's surveillance. His role took a horrific turn in 2022 when he was assigned to guard the "canopies": veritable prisons of scrubland where women and children were condemned to starvation.

“Mackenzie said that to get into Heaven, you would have to be beaten. That’s when the ‘bouncers’ started tying the faithful to trees.” — Enos Amanya

A codified death system

Amanya's testimony reveals the existence of a macabre terminology used by members of the sect to conceal their activities:

1. "Fertilizer" : referred to the corpses of the victims.
2. “Plantations” : referred to burials in mass graves.
3. “Jet trip” : a term used to refer to death by starvation.

A potentially much heavier toll

While authorities have officially exhumed more than 450 bodies, Enos Amanya puts forward a far more terrifying figure. He claims to have participated, day and night, in the burial of at least 700 people , tragically including six of his own children .

Status of the proceedings

The prosecutor's office concluded its hearings with this key testimony. In six months of trial, the case has grown considerably.

1. 120 witnesses heard.
2. More than 500 pieces of evidence were presented in court.
3. Paul Mackenzie and his co-defendants remain at the heart of this historic murder and terrorism trial.