Kilifi: Disturbing Scenes As Detectives Exhume More Bodies, Say Cult Changed Burial Methods
- Detectives recovered nine bodies from Kwa Binzaro by Friday, August 22 evening, with 27 shallow graves already mapped in the cult-linked site
- Government pathologist Dr Johansen Oduor said victims were dumped hurriedly, stripped naked, and buried facing upwards, unlike in Shakahola
- Police confirmed 11 suspects tied to pastor Paul Mackenzie’s sect were arrested as investigations spread across the vast Chakama Ranch
- Rights groups condemned the killings as another massacre and accused security agencies of failing to prevent a repeat of Shakahola
Didacus Malowa, a journalist at TUKO.co.ke, brings over three years of experience covering politics and current affairs in Kenya.
Disturbing images are emerging from Kwa Binzaro village in Kilifi County, where detectives are uncovering shallow graves linked to cult-related killings.
Source: UGC
The ongoing exhumation points to a shift in burial methods compared to the infamous Shakahola massacre, raising fresh concerns over the scale of the atrocities.
By Friday, August 22 evening, nine bodies had been recovered from the site as detectives continued to comb the area for more sites.
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Government pathologist Dr Johansen Oduor confirmed that four bodies were exhumed from three graves on Friday alone, one of which contained two victims.
He described the conditions as unlike anything seen before in his long career.
"During the time that we are retrieving bodies in Shakahola One they were well enclosed in some sheets which were covering each body but right now we are finding a skeleton with no clothes there, so we think probably they were doing it in a hurry," Oduor stated.
The National Police Service revealed that 27 graves had been mapped across the village, with detectives warning the death toll could rise as exhumations continue.
The search is complicated by the vastness of the Chakama Ranch, a 100,000-acre area where Kwa Binzaro is located, just 26 kilometers from Shakahola, where more than 450 victims of pastor Paul Mackenzie’s fasting cult were found in 2023.
Mackenzie remains in custody awaiting trial for murder, while 11 new suspects believed to be his former followers have been arrested in connection with the Kwa Binzaro discoveries.
How are Kwa Binzaro burial sites different?
Detectives also found clothes dumped in one of the graves, suggesting the victims were stripped naked before burial.
Unlike in Shakahola, where bodies were wrapped in cloth, those in Kwa Binzaro were buried facing upwards, a detail that homicide investigators believe may signal an attempt to speed up disposal.
The level of decomposition has left most remains skeletal and dismembered.
The discovery has shocked residents and investigators alike, with locals observing that the graves were scattered and hidden beneath thick bushes, making the search difficult.
"It's a style we've never seen before. In Shakahola One, the bodies were in one place, but this one is hidden under bushes, which has been a very difficult task to find,” resident Victor Kaudo said.
Source: Facebook
Rights groups have condemned what they describe as another massacre, accusing security agencies of failing to prevent a repeat of Shakahola.
"This is a massacre and it is not being given the seriousness that it deserves. Murkomen is speaking from Nairobi that Mackenzie is communicating with the perpetrators on the ground. Where are you? We are on the ground. Your officers are on the ground but they need more resources," one activist said.
Haki Africa’s Mathias Shipete added that the threat of cults regrouping remained real, calling for accountability.
“We are disturbed because we know that probably they’re in another place regrouping again. We are asking the police for accountability, ensuring that this process does not repeat itself,” he said.
How will Kwa Binzaro victims be identified?
Officials say once the exhumation process is complete, DNA testing will begin to help identify the victims.
Families with missing relatives have been urged to report and submit DNA samples for possible matching, mirroring the process that followed the Shakahola massacre.
With exhumations set to continue next week, investigators and families alike brace for more grim discoveries in the thickets of Kwa Binzaro.
Source: TUKO.co.ke
