Witness tells court Kwa Binzaro victims were buried contrary to Giriama traditions

A witness has told Kilifi court that people who died in the Kwa Binzaro case were buried without clothes or coffins, in a manner he said was inconsistent with the customs of the local Giriama community.

The testimony was given before Senior Principal Magistrate Eric Wambo as the prosecution continued presenting evidence in the manslaughter case against Pastor Paul Mackenzie and five co-accused.

Mackenzie, together with Shallyne Temba, Kahindi Garama, Tom Mkonwe, Julius Luwali and Johnson Richard, is charged with 29 counts of manslaughter in connection with the deaths of 29 people at Kwa Binzaro in Chakama Location, Magarini Sub-County, Kilifi County.

Chakama Area Chief Raymond Charo told the court that he took part in the exhumation exercise and observed that several bodies had been laid to rest without clothing, without coffins and in shallow graves.

He said the burials closely resembled those uncovered during investigations into the Shakahola deaths.

According to Charo, the burial practices he witnessed were contrary to Giriama traditions.

"I further wish to state that according to our Giriama culture, burials are conducted during the daytime with prayers, depending on gender, and the deceased are placed inside coffins. The depth of the graves is not less than six feet," he told the court.

The chief explained that although the residents of the area are largely from the Giriama community, the manner in which the deceased were buried did not reflect any recognised cultural customs.

He clarified that he was not giving expert evidence as an investigator or pathologist, but was recounting what he personally saw while present during the exhumations.

Charo further testified that he knew police had recovered additional human remains and body parts from the area before carrying out the large-scale exhumation exercise, although he could not state the exact number that had been found.

The prosecution also called Police Constable Isaiah Barasa, attached to Langobaya Police Station, who described how officers responded after receiving reports that followers living at the homestead of Shallyne Temba had allegedly been influenced to starve themselves.

In a separate account, Allan Luwali testified that he sold a motorcycle to Kahindi Kazungu on May 18, 2024, for Sh18,000 at his garage.

He told the court that he was later contacted by a detective from the Directorate of Criminal Investigations (DCI), who requested that he record a statement as part of investigations into the deaths at Kwa Binzaro.

The hearing continues.