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Exhumation of bodies at Shakahola forest to resume in March

The exhumation of bodies at Shakahola Forest on April 22, 2023. (Photo: Hussein Khalid)

By Lucy Mumbi | Thursday, February 15, 2024

So far the state has conducted autopsies on 429 bodies and is waiting for the DNA results.

Government pathologist Johansen Oduor has announced that the government will resume its exercise of exhuming bodies from the Shakahola forest in March.

Oduor spoke on Thursday at the ongoing Kemri Annual Scientific and Health Conference in Nairobi.

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So far the state has conducted autopsies on 429 bodies and is waiting for the DNA results.

"We are resuming the exercise in March, in which we will receive the results of DNA tests, release identified bodies to relatives and embark on the last phase of the exercise. This will include recovery, identifying, postmortem examination, evidence collection and documentation," he said.

He said the government is considering doing a mass grave on some of the exhumed bodies as their families have refused to get their DNA tested for matching.

According to Oduor, the families don’t want to be associated with their kin as they had willingly joined controversial Pastor Paul Mackenzie’s church.

“Some of them came and gave their samples but some of them refused because they were telling us the person went to Mackenzie hence they don’t want anything to do with them," he said.

Charged with murder

Mackenzie and 29 others were last week charged with the murder of 191 children whose bodies were found among the exhumed from the Shakahola forest.

They all denied the charges before a Malindi High Court. However, one suspect did not answer the charges after the mental assessment established that he was unfit to take the stand.

The matter is set for mention on March 7, 2024.

On January 31, the government barred Mackenzie from leading a congregation or conducting any activities under the Good News International Ministries.

This is after Interior Cabinet Secretary Kithure Kindiki declared the Ministry an organised criminal group.

Kindiki said the declaration is in accordance with Section 22(1) of the Prevention of Organised Crimes Act.

The self-proclaimed pastor was arrested last year in April after bodies were found in an 800-acre piece of land believed to be his.

According to witnesses, he allegedly incited his followers to starve to death to "meet Jesus"

Oduor said that once the DNA test results of the bodies already exhumed are out in March, the bodies will be released to their loved ones for burial.