Mass graves, starving faithful at Pastor Mackenzie’s church
A DCI homicide detective marks a shallow grave believed to hold three bodies of suspected followers of Pastor Paul Mackenzie of Good News International Church at Shakahola Village, Kilifi, on April 19, 2023.
The gravity of the cultic activities in Kilifi County only becomes clear when one sets foot in Shakahola village where two bodies, one badly decomposed, were discovered on Wednesday and 15 emaciated people were rescued.
For the second day, forensic experts, three pathologists and crime scene analysts camped in the village in readiness for the excavation of 19 sites thought to be secret mass graves.
They are believed to contain the bodies of victims of a cult whose leader convinced them to starve themselves to death. The two bodies recovered on Wednesday were found in a hideout in a secluded area of the expansive village in the verdant countryside.
The graves were identified through the help of a witness accompanying the team, who told officers they could be contained between two or three bodies. Directorate of Criminal Investigations (DCI) Homicide Unit boss Martin Nyuguto said the exhumation is likely to start today.
Of interest, should the team find more bodies, will be their identities and what killed them.
Yesterday, the team arrived at the village in five police vehicles, including a lorry, and headed straight to the house of the prime suspect, Pastor Paul Mackenzie of Good News International Church.
Earlier, police had rescued a starving woman deep in a forest near the village. She was later moved to Malindi Hospital for treatment.
During the course of the day, 14 other people were rescued as police delved deeper into the forested area. Most of the women had shaved their heads.
A DCI homicide team led by Martin Nyuguto (left) at Shakahola Village, Kilifi County, on April 19, 2023.
“This is a grave; here, three bodies were buried,” the witness told the team pointing to the first grave.
Homicide detectives noted down every key detail they believed would help them crack the case.
Shallow graves
The graves were shallow and had loose clumps of soil on top and ashes peppering the edges. Some had been hurriedly covered with tree branches.
Some appeared freshly dug.
Nation saw victims’ personal effects burnt in some of the grave sites.
Police were non-committal on whether they would be guarding the sites overnight ahead of the official exhumation of bodies in the coming days. Yesterday, families were still searching for their missing relatives with the hope they would be located, dead or alive.
Mr Ibn Abbas had travelled from Nigeria and came to search for his Kenyan wife and his child.
The couple used to live in Kahawa, a neighbourhood in Nairobi, before moving to the Likoni area of Mombasa City.
According to Mr Abbas, he last spoke to his wife when she bade him goodbye on claims that she was taking the child to a hair salon, little knowing that it would be the last time he would set eyes upon his family.
A DCI homicide cordons off a suspected grave at Shakahola Village, Kilifi County, on April 19, 2023.
All along, his wife was in communication with her sister, according to Mr Abbas.
"I tracked her phone and it led me to this village. Now it has gone off,” he said. Mr Abbas is searching for six relatives, including his father-in-law.
A former member of Pastor Mackenzie's church, who was a member of the church's leadership before quitting, said the controversial preacher had formed two layers of leadership.
"He had established two committees, those who spearheaded burial activities and others who handled security matters. I was a preacher. What happened is that, after the Malindi church was closed, Pastor Mackenzie informed the followers of his church it was time to go to the bushes or jangwani to farm as they waited for the return of Jesus.”
"I do not understand how it reached a point where people started to starve themselves to death,” he said.
Also rescued yesterday was Ms Alice Kawira from Meru County, alongside her 16-year-old daughter.
