A Mombasa court has heard an emotional account from a man who told how his father's growing involvement with Pastor Paul Mackenzie's teachings led to his disappearance, before DNA tests later confirmed that his remains had been recovered. The testimony formed part of the prosecution's evidence in the ongoing Kwa Binzaro manslaughter case involving Pastor Mackenzie and five other accused persons.
Five prosecution witnesses testified on Thursday before Senior Principal Magistrate Eric Wambo at the Mombasa Law Courts, where Pastor Paul Mackenzie, Shallyne Temba, Kahindi Garama, Tom Mkonwe, Julius Luwali and Johnson Richard are jointly facing 29 counts of manslaughter.
Among those who testified was Boniface Ochieng, who appeared virtually and narrated how his father's religious beliefs changed after he came into contact with followers of Pastor Mackenzie's teachings.
Ochieng told the court that his father had established Neno Evangelism Centre before later renaming it Grace Revival Church and eventually Kanisa la Yesu. He said the changes came after his father was influenced by his close friend, Samuel Owino, who followed Pastor Mackenzie's teachings.
According to Ochieng, his father helped fund a church conference held at Busia Polytechnic in February 2020. The gathering was attended by Pastor Mackenzie, Servant George, Samuel Owino, his father and other congregants from Malindi.
He said he attended the conference for one day, during which, "the teachings discouraged formal education, seeking medical treatment, and engagement with government."
The witness further told the court that another conference was later organised at their family home, where his father asked him to provide financial support for visiting congregants.
Ochieng also testified that his father instructed him to stop attending school before learning institutions were closed during the Covid-19 pandemic. Although schools later resumed learning, he did not return. He said he and his siblings were later arrested for failing to attend school before eventually being taken back while the matter remained before the court.
Recalling the events before his father's disappearance, Ochieng said that in early 2025 his father contacted him with unexpected news.
He told the court, "my father called me claiming that he had secured employment in South Africa and Nigeria and requested me to travel home to receive important documents, including a title deed, before his departure."
He travelled home and collected the documents before returning to Nairobi on March 18, 2025. However, he said repeated efforts to reach both his parents by phone were unsuccessful, while a friend sent to check on the family home found the house deserted.
Two weeks later, Ochieng returned home, broke into the locked house and discovered four Tahmeed Coach bus tickets to Mombasa.
He told the court, "this discovery reminded me of earlier conversations with my father about travelling to the 'wilderness' for what I understood to be fasting until death."
Following the discovery, Ochieng reported his parents missing at Vigilance House Police Headquarters and later submitted DNA samples to investigators.
He testified that Inspector Owade later informed him that the DNA results matched the remains of his deceased father.
The court also heard evidence from Police Constable Alfred Kipchumba, who testified that officers conducted an operation at a house in Mtopanga, Bamburi, on July 20, 2025, where four people were arrested and four mobile phones recovered.
Kipchumba identified Shallyne Temba, Kahindi Garama and Tom Mkonwe as among those arrested during the operation.
Another prosecution witness, Steven Ngala, testified that he rented a room to Shallyne Temba in April 2025 at a monthly rent of Sh1,500. He said other occupants later joined her before they moved into another rental house nearby.
Ngala further told the court that Temba later introduced another man from the Coast region, who occupied one of his rooms for about two weeks before leaving without informing him.
The prosecution also presented testimony from Mbaraka Kahindi and Hamisi Abdillahi.
The case will resume on September 21, 2026, when the hearing continues.