KILIFI, Kenya (BN24) — Authorities in Kenya have suspended exhumations at a cult-linked site where hundreds of shallow graves have been discovered, saying DNA sampling must be completed before further digging resumes.
The latest operation, carried out over the past two weeks at Chakama Ranch in Kilifi County, uncovered 34 bodies and more than 100 body parts. Police said the pause is necessary to allow for DNA analysis, which will help identify victims as investigators continue unraveling the case.
The area, already notorious as the site of mass graves linked to Pastor Paul Mackenzie’s Good News International Church in nearby Shakahola, has once again drawn scrutiny amid what police describe as the regrouping of former cult members.
Inspector General of Police Douglas Kanja said Wednesday that a multi-agency team remains on the ground to establish the full circumstances of the deaths. “We have our best team working here, and very soon we will complete the investigation,” Kanja told reporters.
Government pathologist Richard Njoroge said postmortem examinations would begin once X-rays are complete.
Authorities confirmed that 11 suspects were arrested last month following a complaint from a woman who said her children had died under the group’s watch. Court filings show investigators are examining money transfers made to the suspects’ phones, which police believe were used to fund the cult’s operations.
The group reportedly rented homes in Malindi town before relocating to Chakama Ranch, where mud huts were built near the graves now being unearthed. Police say the isolated, forested area made detection difficult and law enforcement presence weak.
“This is a very expansive and forested area, and for that reason, it needs all of us to come together so that we can overcome these challenges,” Kanja said, adding that many of those missing and presumed dead are not local residents.
The new exhumations are taking place roughly two kilometers from Shakahola, where more than 400 bodies were recovered in 2023. Pastor Mackenzie, accused of convincing followers to starve to death in anticipation of salvation, remains in custody on murder charges.
The Chakama Ranch case underscores the ongoing challenge of policing remote areas of Kenya, where law enforcement has struggled to contain cult activity and prevent further mass deaths.
Associated Press
