Cult Teachings Shatter Family
Titus Ngonjo, a 60-year-old man, recently shared his heartbreaking story at the Tononoka Children’s Court, recounting how he lost most of his family in the tragic Shakahola massacre, which was led by Pastor Paul Nthenge Mackenzie of the Good News International Church.
According to the Office of the Director of Public Prosecutions (ODPP), Ngonjo revealed that his wife, Esther Birya Masha, had drawn their two sons, Harry and Isaack Ngala, into the cult.
Both families joined the sect together, bringing their wives and kids along, and in doing so, they left behind their education, jobs, and family duties.
Harry, along with his wife and their five children, tragically lost their lives in the forest.
He went on to explain that Isaack quit his job as a General Service Unit (GSU) officer after being convinced by Mackenzie’s teachings that having a salary was wrong.
Isaack’s wife, who worked as a teacher for the government, also left her job and moved with him and their three kids to Shakahola.
“Sadly, Isaack, his wife, and two of their children perished in the forest. Only one child made it, and Gandi is now taking care of them,” said ODPP.
Ngonjo also remembered warning his wife not to join the church, which openly criticized education and traditional jobs, putting a strain on their marriage.
“He further recounted his last meal with his wife before she disappeared into Shakahola forest, never to return,” ODPP added.
DNA analysis later confirmed the identities of some of his family members, whose remains he was able to bury, but sadly, one grandson is still missing.
He also shared with the court that he had laid to rest two of the twelve family members he lost to the cult.
Gandi urged the court to deliver justice quickly, expressing that his family had been devastated by radical indoctrination.
