More bodies of suspected Paul Mackenzie church victims exhumed

Homicide detectives have exhumed at least 14 more bodies after exhuming graves linked to Shakahola church members. 

The total number of dead bodies is now 21, which were all buried in an 800ha land in Kilifi county. 

Five bodies, believed to be belonging to one family were found in one grave.  

In another grave, three bodies were found on top of each other. 

“We found, a man, woman and three children in one grave,” a detective said 

Most of the bodies exhumed were children compared to adults. 

By Friday 58 graves had been identified.

A team of about 100 officers led by the Homicide unit Director together with a pathologist, officers from the DCI, the forensic Department, and regular police are leading the operation.

The bodies have been unearthed in the Chakama area after an informer who was an insider in the church alleged that there is a mass shallow grave of victims totalling at least 31 bodies. 

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In the cult, people were allegedly encouraged to fast to death to make it to heaven. 

The controversial Malindi preacher Paul Mackenzie of Good News International has been preaching to his followers to fast and pray for several days and eventually, a number of them have died due to hunger.

Last month, Mackenzie was arrested by police officers over the death of two minors in similar circumstances but was released on a Sh10,000 police bond.

The victims were allegedly being brainwashed, according to the police.

“We are going to take legal action against the survivors as they had committed an offence of attempting suicide,” they said.