In a chilling development on Kenya’s coast, authorities in Kilifi County have exhumed five bodies and recovered ten human body parts from shallow graves in the Kwa Binzaro area.
AP News
The site lies just about 2 km from where more than 400 bodies linked to the notorious Shakahola doomsday cult were discovered in 2023 — a stark reminder that the spectre of that tragedy may not yet be laid to rest.
A multi‑agency team, including homicide detectives, forensic experts, and pathologists, is leading the ongoing exhumation.
Government pathologist Richard Njoroge revealed that investigators had identified 27 suspected graves in the dense forest around Kwa Binzaro — raising urgent fears that more victims may still be buried there.
Eleven individuals, believed to be former adherents of the same cult, are in custody as the probe deepens.
The discoveries revive haunting parallels to the original Shakahola Forest massacre, where followers of self‑styled pastor Paul Mackenzie were allegedly instructed to fast to death in belief that it would bring them closer to Jesus.
Public reaction has been swift, and not just in shock. Civil society groups and human rights activists have condemned what they describe as a failure by securety and intelligence agencies, pointing to gaps in early detection and coordination.
Anadolu Ajansı
Families of the missing are being urged to come forward and provide DNA samples through a desk set up by the Kenya Red Cross at Malindi District Hospital — a bid to identify the newly exhumed remains.
Anadolu Ajansı
Authorities themselves acknowledge systemic shortcomings. Police admitted there had been a breakdown in coordination among various arms of the security apparatus, even as fresh exhumations continue.
Looking ahead, investigators say they are committed to completing the forensic work — including DNA testing, X-rays, and postmortems — to firmly establish the identities of the deceased and, if possible, their causes of death.Meanwhile, surveillance of the Kwa Binzaro site has been increased, as security agencies remain wary of a possible regrouping of radical elements from the Shakahola sect.
As the nation watches, the renewed probe could mark a turning point in Kenya’s effort to bring accountability to one of its darkest religious tragedies.