Shakahola: How followers were deceived to buy land of death for Sh1,000

To the followers of Pastor Paul Makenzie, the call was presented as a divine retreat from a corrupt world.

Deep in Kilifi, a secluded tract of land was identified as an isolated space promised to be positioned directly "within reach of God's eyes.

For as little as Sh1,000 an acre, the controversial preacher offered his congregation a piece of this wilderness.

Court records reveal a lucrative scheme where Makenzie purchased the property in Kilifi and resold it directly to his followers.

“We soon learned that a piece of land had been identified which was isolated and which would be within reach of God’s preying eyes. Indeed, many people moved to the piece of land that no one had identified,” he testified, adding that worshippers were taken to Shakahola and informed that it was up for sale and anyone who wanted a piece was to buy it from the pastor to occupy the same.

Worshippers who enjoyed close ties to Makenzie paid him directly; others handed cash to representatives like Victor, who collected funds for land and allocated the same.

Central to the sale was one George Mwaura, a pastor in GN Ministries, who different witnesses told the court that he collected money, including for food.

A key prosecution witness identified only as G.H., for his protection, recounted how his family was drawn into the fold.

G.H. had joined Makenzie’s church years earlier and married the pastor’s niece, who was also a congregant. When the church was eventually closed, a directive spread among members to isolate themselves from society on the newly identified land.

G.H. purchased two acres for Sh3000, but he hesitated, remaining in Malindi rather than taking up residence immediately.

 In Shakahola, however, hesitation meant forfeiture. An accused associate named Kalua identified his plot and reallocated it to another follower, explaining that G.H. had not fully decided to settle within Shakahola.

“I bought 2 acres at Sh3000. I did not take occupation immediately; I stayed in Malindi for some time but learnt that my kind had been allocated to someone. The land that I paid for was identified by the accused, Kalua. I was informed that my land had been given away because I had not fully decided to settle within Shakahola,” he continued, adding that the money was sent through M-Pesa.

The pressure to commit soon intensified. G.H.’s wife began receiving persistent phone calls from "the servant", the title used by Makenzie, imploring the family to join him in the secluded settlement.

Swayed by the calls, G.H.’s pregnant wife packed up their two young children and ventured into Shakahola first.

Left with no choice, G.H. abandoned town to follow his family into the vast land. He insisted that this was only meant to have access to children.

Inside Shakahola was a vast forest. He said no one was allowed to work or fend for themselves by the preachers. There was also no freedom to move around.

At one point, High Court Judge Diana Kavedza heard that the witness left for Malindi but was given an ultimatum to return within seven days, or else he would forget about the land and children.

“I used to go back to Shakahola because I had bought land which I did not want to lose since I had lost the first one. So, I would go to see my land then go back to Malindi,” said GN, adding that differences arose over his alleged defiance and he was shown the door with a threat that he would be beaten mercilessly if he ever went back to the property.

He narrated that he was shown another land by one Jackson Kalama, measuring 10 acres and this time he paid Sh5000 as a deposit. For this, an acre was going for Sh3000.

 The next time he went back to Shakahola, GN said, he found another woman named Mamake Moses (Moses’s mother) who had also been sold the same property by Makenzie.

“She informed me that she had bought the land from accused 1 after being told that I had defected. I told her to go back to the 1 accused since I had paid for the land. I told her to leave my house and went back to Malindi. When I went back again, I was shocked,” he continued.

Upon returning to Shakahola, he found worshippers who were malnourished and others dying. GH narrated that he went to the person who sold the land to Makenzie, known as Shadrack, inquiring whether he knew what was happening on the land and why he would be allowed to invest in it.

According to GH, Shadrack allegedly expressed fears that he would do nothing owing to threats. He added that the local administration also knew about it but no one dared take action.

“I was disturbed when Shadrack told me that the government was aware that people were fasting to death and I should concentrate then on getting my land. I went to Lango Mbaya police station where I reported and I was told by the police officers. I insisted on recording a statement but the police officers refused.”

“The worshippers were the occupants of land. Those who defected lost their land. I personally stopped following the teaching of the church, hence the threat to take away my land,” he testified.

GH said he wanted to farm but lost his land twice to Makenzie.

“I found out when my land had been allocated to somewhere else. I ended up buying land outside Shakahola after losing land to accused 1 twice. I ran away from Shakahola using my motorbike. I also used to have a vehicle. My wife was not stopped from leaving,” testified GH.

The second witness, whose identity was also redacted as EM, told the court that her mother told her and a sister that there was a land being sold at Shakahola.

The 18-year-old narrated that her mother also informed them that they were to go to work farming. “We indeed cultivated and planted green grams,” she testified, adding that although there were many weddings and ‘burials’ which she attended, her mother was wise enough to hide some money for a bad day.

After her mother was arrested, she guided them to a hole where she had dug and hidden the money.

According to her, one, ‘Alex wa mashamba ’, was the one who used to allocate people land.

The third witness, who was also codenamed BM, narrated that they were informed that the pastor had identified a land through WhatsApp and they were required to pay Sh1000 per acre.

According to her, they were also directed to send the money to Victor or send the money to Makenzie directly.

“We gave Sh2000 so that we could get two acres. My husband, pastor Victor and Pastor Timothy took the money to Mtumishi. They came back and told us that they had seen the shamba. They came back and told us that the church was moving to the desert,” said BM.

She too asserted that Alex was the one who allocated the land, and he settled them in Judea.

According to BM, everything seemed well until Makenzie came to settle among them and stopped everyone from assisting one another.

“There was no begging. He said it was a sin because that was like making the other person assisting you to be like a god. So those who did not have any food were told to stay in their houses and wait for Jesus. Which means any person who was aware that someone did not have food should give voluntarily,” she said, adding that this prompted her to leave for Mombasa to work and get food.

She too said that their interest in the land was to do farming but upon arriving in Shakahola, there were those without and were accommodated until they were allocated their pieces.

She insisted that they paid Sh2000 and a further Sh5000 for the property.

Shadrack Baya Yaa was the owner of the property. He told the court that he had lived in Shakahola since 1982 and knew Makenzie through one Kelvin Mwaroro, who was a farmhand.

He stated that after the introduction, the controversial pastor requested to buy a piece of land near the road. The pastor, according to him, bought 10 acres of land at Sh50,000.

The court heard that Makenzie moved into Shakahola forest in 2019, and thereafter flocks of people started trooping in.

Baya said they wore differently from the locals, with women wearing long dresses and skirts. “They all cut their hair,” he testified, adding that out of their need for cereals, he started a maize shop.

He stated that one day, one person approached him, seeking assistance to get his piece of land back. He further stated that he informed a Kenya Defence Forces (KDF) officer who then informed him to report immediately to the police. It was then that Makenzie was arrested.

“It’s our clan that sold to Mackenzie land. He paid Kajama, which is a token of appreciation, to dwell in our us, the community. We did not sell the land,” testified Baya.

Kalume Fondo, another witness, narrated that he, alongside 30 other persons, formed a group to purchase land. In total, they bought 500 acres and paid the money to one Kajama.

Their land bordered Makenzie’s. He testified that while his property to clear it, he heard frail voices seeking help. At the same time, he added, there were unknown persons with slashers.