Shakahola death toll hits 98 as eight more bodies of children exhumed
Some of the 17 bodies that were exhumed from the Shakahola mass graves on April 25, 2023.
Eight more bodies were found in Shakahola village in Kilifi County on wednesday bringing the total number of those exhumed since Friday, April 21, to 95.
Coast regional coordinator Rhoda Onyancha confirmed that eight more bodies of children were exhumed near cult leader Paul Mackenzie's homestead in the forest.
And Wednesday morning, police barred members of the press from going into the Shakahola forest.
The 800-acre land is allegedly owned by cult leader Paul Mackenzie, who has been urging his followers to fast to death with the promise that they will meet Jesus.
And on Tuesday, Interior Cabinet Secretary Kithure Kindiki indicated that what happened at Mackenzie’s church was ‘the tip of the iceberg’.
“The government admits this should not have happened. We have opened a formal inquiry on another religious organisation based in Kilifi County. We are getting leads that perhaps what was being done at Mackenzie’s was just the tip of the iceberg. The net has been cast wider to all other associates and collaborators of Mackenzie’s evil,” Prof Kindiki said when he visited the farm.
