Dan Mackenzie, the 24-year-old son of convicted cult leader Paul Mackenzie, broke his silence after his father was found guilty of the murders of 191 children in connection with the Shakahola tragedy.
Dan described the verdict not as heartbreak but as closure, both for himself and for the families who lost loved ones in Shakahola.
Dan Mackenzie on His Own Suffering
Speaking to journalists outside a Kilifi courthouse, he explained that the news offered relief, and that justice had been served.
“May their souls rest in peace, those who lost their families in Shakahola. It’s sad what they went through over there.”
Far from talking about his father, Dan revealed that he too had lived through abuse at the hands of Paul Mackenzie’s religious movement.
At the age of 12, he was forced to fast for an entire week and was beaten for almost three hours simply for refusing to attend a church service, an experience he described as deeply traumatic.
Dan Never Joined Dad’s Church
The abuse, he explained, is the very reason he never ended up in Shakahola. His refusal to comply led his father to abandon him entirely.
“He just gave up on me and said I’m on my own. That’s why I ended up doing boda boda in Malindi,” Dan said.
He added that he only reached Class 7 before his formal education came to an end, leaving him to find his own way on the streets of Malindi.
After the verdict was delivered, Dan said he had already spoken with his father, an exchange that was brief and cold.
Father Accuses Son of Betrayal
Paul Mackenzie reportedly told his son that he had betrayed him, though Dan said he could not understand on what grounds.
“I’ve already spoken to him. He told me that I’ve betrayed him. I don’t know from what,” Dan said, adding plainly: “Nothing. I have nothing to say to you.”
Asked directly whether he had expected the verdict, Dan was unequivocal and confirmed that three of his sisters and two brothers were currently at a rescue centre following the Shakahola discoveries.
He said he hoped the verdict would bring the survivors some measure of peace.
