Detectives have recently uncovered seven additional bodies in mass graves located in Shakahola forest, which have been linked to a doomsday cult. This discovery has raised the death toll to 257 victims. The coastal regional commissioner, Rhoda Onyanacha, has reported that approximately 613 missing persons have been identified as members of the Good News International church, associated with Paul Makenzi. Government chief pathologist, Dr Johansen Oduor, has previously stated that the majority of deaths were caused by starvation, strangulation, or blunt force trauma.
The second phase of exhumation had to be temporarily halted due to adverse weather conditions but has since resumed this week. Authorities are deeply concerned as more graves continue to be identified within the forest. Onyanacha confirmed that 45 arrests have been made in connection with the cult, while 95 individuals have been rescued and 19 of them have been reunited with their families. As part of the investigation, 93 families have undergone DNA testing, although the results will not be available for another two months.
Police, dressed in protective gear, have been meticulously searching the site, where an increasing number of bodies are being discovered on a daily basis. Meanwhile, Paul Makenzi, the leader of the cult, has commenced a hunger strike following remarks made by the Interior CS suggesting that he should receive a life sentence for the massacre of over 250 church members. Makenzi’s lawyer addressed Principal Magistrate Yusuf Shikanda, expressing the need for assurance from Chief Justice Martha Koome that the court proceedings will not be influenced by external forces, in order to ensure truth and justice prevail.
The lawyer stated, “We want the CJ to assure us of the independence of the courts in the trial of my client. We do not want the Judiciary to be interfered with. I want justice for my client.” He further revealed that Makenzi and his co-accused have embarked on a hunger strike to protest the CS’s remarks and to advocate for fairness in the case. Currently, Makenzi, his wife Rhoda Maweu, and 17 other individuals are in police custody awaiting further legal proceedings.