The ongoing Shakahola massacre trial has taken a disturbing turn, with the prosecution revealing testimony that deaths within the forest settlement were disguised using symbolic language, including referring to them as “weddings.”

According to the Office of the Director of Public Prosecutions (ODPP), a defence witness told the High Court in Mombasa that members of the group embraced beliefs that reframed death as a spiritual transition rather than an end of life.

The witness admitted to engaging in prolonged fasting, at one point requiring hospitalisation after suffering severe dehydration due to lack of food and water.

In what prosecutors described as a key revelation, the witness said deaths were never openly acknowledged within the settlement.

“He further told the court that within the settlement, deaths were referred to as “weddings,” symbolising a belief that faithful followers do not die but transition spiritually,” the statement said.

He also disclosed that coded phrases were used to describe fasting cycles, with terms such as “kupanda mlima” (climbing the mountain) and “kushuka mlima” (descending the mountain) marking the beginning and end of fasting periods.

Appearing before Diana Kavedza, the witness admitted participating in burial activities in Shakahola forest, including digging graves and interring bodies.

He maintained his actions were carried out in “good faith” as part of a religious community, though he acknowledged he could not determine the exact causes of death.

The court also heard that the witness dropped out of university after adopting the group’s teachings and moved to Shakahola in 2023, where he bought land for Sh1,500.

Within the settlement, he said, formal education, medical treatment, and aspects of modern life were discouraged as they were seen to conflict with spiritual beliefs.

“He (accused) described a strict belief system that discouraged formal education, medical treatment, and certain aspects of modern life, which were viewed as contrary to spiritual teachings,” the statement reads.

These teachings, he added, were deeply internalised, shaping followers’ daily lives and decisions, with prolonged fasting widely practiced as an act of faith.

The Shakahola trial continues to examine deaths linked to alleged cult practices, including starvation, indoctrination, and illegal burials in Kilifi.