- Through their lawyer, Lawrence Obonyo, the suspects said they were on hunger strike again to protest the ill-treatment
- They mentioned a few officers who have been ‘tormenting’ them
Image: CHARLES MGHENYI
A Mombasa court on Monday summoned Shimo la Tewa Women's Prison boss after suspects complained of harassment.
The suspects, held in connection with the Shakahola massacre, went on hunger strike to protest maltreatment by prison wardens.
Cult leader Paul Mackenzie and his co-accused, 40 women and 55 men, face 238 counts of manslaughter.
Mackenzie’s wife, Rhoda Maweu and at eight other women raised the complaint.
“They (suspects) are yet again on hunger strike to protest the actions of the officers at Shimo la Tewa. We are asking the court to intervene,” defence lawyer Lawrence Obonyo, who is representing the suspects, said on Monday.
They mentioned a few officers who have been ‘tormenting’ them.
However, the prosecution opposed the application, saying it was a tactic to obstruct the case from proceeding.
Senior prosecution counsel Jami Yamina said there was a mechanism for handling complaints from the facility.
“The court should allow the defence team to follow the procedure as outlined in the Prisons Act. The application by the defence to invite this court into this issue will derail the matter at hand, which is the manslaughter trial,” Yamina said.
Mombasa Chief Magistrate Alex Ithuku said the issue of the hunger strike is weighty and urgent and should be addressed.
He directed the suspects to be served with snacks during the court session.
Ithuku also ordered the chief prison warden to appear before the court on Wednesday, September 11.
“The allegations raised were serious and it is prudent for the officer in charge of the women's prison to provide comprehensive report of the allegations,” ordered Ithuku.
This comes after reports that a second suspect, Edison Safari, had died at Shimo la Tewa Prison.
Safari, who was suffering from cancer, died on August 19.
The other suspect, Mary Charo, died in June at the Coast General Teaching and Referral Hospital.
The two bodies were released to the relatives for burial after postmortem.
Seven witnesses have so far testified against Mackenzie and his co-accused.
The suspects pleaded not guilty to the charges.
The victims were followers of Mackenzie’s Good News International Church.
They died while allegedly pursuing a suicide pact related to the teachings of the church between January 2021 and September 2023.
One of the witnesses told the court that the cult leader used Bible verses to advance his messages, leading to the mass deaths of his followers.
He preached to his followers to abandon work, meals, education, beauty and other 'worldly affairs'.
Mackenzie also shared radical interpretations of Scripture, including contradicting known verses.
Sometimes, the preacher would not refer to any Bible verse, but decreed certain actions and instructed his congregation to perform them.
The preacher’s instruction on continuous fasting led to the deaths of members, the witness said.