One of the main suspects in the Shakahola massacre, Enos Amanya alias Hallelujah, has pleaded guilty to 191 counts of murder before the High Court in Mombasa.
The admission comes nearly two years after the case was filed and marks a major breakthrough for prosecutors who have been pursuing justice over one of the darkest chapters in Kenya’s recent history.
According to the Office of the Director of Public Prosecutions (ODPP), Amanya is among 29 individuals charged in connection with the mass deaths that occurred in the vast Shakahola forest within Chakama Ranch, Kilifi County.
Prosecutors told the court that the offences were committed between January 2021 and September 2023, a period during which hundreds of followers of preacher Paul Mackenzie are believed to have died after being subjected to starvation, abuse, and coercive religious practices.
Appearing before Justice Diana Kavedza, Amanya admitted that he acted together with Mackenzie and other co-accused persons in what the prosecution described as a well-organised and deliberate operation.
Court documents revealed that Amanya played a key role within the Shakahola camp, serving as a grave digger and enforcing security to ensure followers strictly obeyed Mackenzie’s teachings while silencing those who attempted to resist.
In a harrowing disclosure, Amanya confessed that some of the victims were his own children.
He told the court that he witnessed the deaths of Ejah Nyaleso and Senaida and later participated in their burial alongside his wife, Anne Anyoso Alukhwe, who is also facing charges in the case.
After confirming that the prosecution’s facts were accurate, the court convicted Amanya on his own plea of guilty.
Justice Kavedza directed the Coast Regional Probation and Aftercare Service to compile a detailed victim impact assessment report ahead of sentencing.
The court further scheduled pre-sentencing hearings for victims’ witnesses from Monday, February 2, to Tuesday, February 6, 2026.
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