At least nine bodies, including two children, have been unearthed on Kenya’s coast in graves tied to the Shakahola starvation cult. Police said the discovery near Binzaro village in Kilifi county adds another chapter to one of the world’s worst cult tragedies.
The “Shakahola Forest Massacre,” uncovered in 2023 near Malindi, claimed over 400 lives under the influence of self-styled pastor Paul Mackenzie. Mackenzie, accused of encouraging followers to starve for salvation, has pleaded not guilty to multiple counts of manslaughter in Mombasa.
Investigators exhumed the latest remains from 27 sites at a five-acre property, according to Directorate of Criminal Investigations officer Robert Kiinge. He confirmed five bodies were found Friday, their condition showing some had been buried more than a year, others in recent months.
Two of the victims were children, estimated to be between five and seven years old, underscoring the brutality of the cult. Later, state pathologist Johansen Oduo said four additional bodies were exhumed, buried naked in shallow graves, stripped of dignity in death.
Kiinge reported that eleven people were detained, though three are considered victims, while the rest are followers of Mackenzie. Investigators declined to speculate on the cause of death until post-mortems are completed, leaving families and a nation waiting for answers.
The trial of Mackenzie was adjourned this month after new evidence emerged, prolonging the pursuit of justice for hundreds of victims. Shakahola’s horrors forced Kenya’s government to tighten scrutiny of fringe religious groups accused of exploiting faith, grief, and desperation.
But moves to regulate religion have stirred opposition, with critics warning against erosion of constitutional freedoms separating Church and state. The graves, silent yet damning, remind Kenyans of a tragedy that still casts a long shadow over the nation’s conscience.
