Shakahola trial: Witness tells court deaths were called 'weddings'

A defence witness in the trial stemming from the Shakahola massacre has admitted to taking part in burial activities within the forest settlement, telling the court he believed he was acting in line with the group’s spiritual teachings.

Testifying before the Mombasa High Court, Steven Ngugi, one of the accused persons, said he helped dig graves and bury individuals who died in Shakahola, insisting his actions were carried out in “good faith” as a member of the religious community.

Appearing before Justice Diana Kavedza, Ngugi was cross-examined by prosecutors from the Office of the Director of Public Prosecutions (ODPP), where he acknowledged he could not establish the exact causes of death of those he buried.

Ngugi told the court that his adherence to the group’s teachings led him to abandon his university studies and relocate to Shakahola in 2023, where he purchased land for Ksh.1,500.

He described a rigid belief system that discouraged formal education, medical care and aspects of modern life, which were considered incompatible with their spiritual doctrine.

He further testified that prolonged fasting was widely practiced within the group, adding that he personally participated and at one point required hospital treatment after suffering dehydration due to extended periods without food or water.

According to his testimony, deaths within the settlement were referred to as “weddings,” reflecting a belief that followers did not die but transitioned spiritually.

He also explained that coded terms such as “kupanda mlima” and “kushuka mlima” were used to describe the beginning and end of fasting periods.