Shakahola shadow: 8 children rescued from Paul Mackenzie’s mother’s home in Malindi
Eight children aged between six and 14 have been rescued from the home of Anastasia Mwele, the mother of controversial preacher Paul Mackenzie, in Furunzi, Malindi, where they were feared to be under enforced fasting and kept out of school. Mwele, who is the children’s grandmother, was arrested by Directorate of Criminal Investigations (DCI) officers […]
A multi-agency team rescued five school-aged children from a home in Furunzi village, Malindi, on October 7, 2026, after discovering they were not enrolled in school. The team, led by DCI Director of Homicide Martin Nyiguto, encountered children aged between six and 16 years, including nine-year-old Olive Wangunyi Kamba. Despite reports of alleged starvation, the children appeared well-nourished.
It was revealed that the children lacked birth certificates, which their father, Paul Mackenzie, a pastor incarcerated for manslaughter, had failed to obtain. The Malindi Children’s Department now oversees the children's acquisition of necessary documentation and enrollment in school. Mackenzie faced criticism for preaching that education was "satanic" and encouraging followers to abandon formal education. In 2017 and 2018, he was arrested for his stance against schooling.
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