Three years on, Shakahola victims’ bodies still await burial

Three years after some 426 bodies were recovered from shallow graves in Shakahola Forest, the remains of the victims are still lying in temporary morgues at Malindi Subcounty Hospital.

The revelation has sparked outrage and anxiety among residents and leaders.

The victims, many of them children, were followers of alleged cult leader Paul Mackenzie, who reportedly instructed his followers to starve themselves to death in preparation for the end of the world.

Survivors recount that children were ordered to starve first, followed by unmarried adults, women, men, and finally church leaders. Others were reportedly strangled or beaten.

Mackenzie, who founded the Good News International Church in 2003 and claimed to have closed it in 2019, discouraged formal education, labelling it “satanic” and a tool for extortion.

He was arrested in 2017 and 2018 for encouraging children to drop out of school, claiming education was “not recognised in the Bible.”

The bodies were exhumed from mass graves from April 2023, with government-led DNA testing intended to help identify the victims and allow families to perform proper burials.

However, three years later, the bodies remain in containers in the hospital grounds.

Kilifi Senator Stewart Madzayo described the situation as “deeply unfortunate,” noting that families have yet to lay their loved ones to rest.

He expressed concern over the health risks posed to hospital staff and residents, as well as the psychological toll on grieving families.

“This is a matter that has caused unnecessary anxiety and distress. Families deserve closure, and the dead deserve dignity,” Madzayo said.

Kilifi leaders have now turned to the Senate for intervention, demanding the government disclose how many bodies remain in storage and explain the delays in the identification process.

They are also seeking a clear timeline for completing DNA tests and releasing the bodies for burial.

“Families have waited far too long, and the continued retention of the bodies in containers is unacceptable,” Madzayo added.

The situation has also drawn sharp criticism from other leaders.

Kitui Senator Enoch Wambua described the retention of bodies in temporary containers as “an affront to human dignity.”

He said, “This is hardly a way of dealing with the dead in the African context.”

“You cannot have bodies lying inside a container outside a public hospital while families cry out for a dignified send-off. It is a collective shame for our nation.”

Kilifi Governor Gideon Mung’aro has expressed frustration over the issue, warning that the county may remove the containers storing the bodies.

He argued that preserving the bodies is a national government responsibility, not a county one, noting that Kilifi county has spent roughly Sh36 million on electricity bills to maintain the makeshift morgues.

Nandi Senator Samson Cherargei said, " DNA tests have been conducted. What is happening? Is someone using them for sorcery or witchcraft? Why are the bodies not being released to their families?"

He added, "When one visits Malindi Subcounty Hospital, which you are familiar with, the smell is so strong that sick people in the hospital smell death. Patients recovering in the hospital are psychologically affected by the smell."

He challenged the Ministry of Interior and National Administration and the relevant ministry to allow the families to bury their loved ones