Murkomen warns Kenyans against silence on cults as new mass graves found in Kilifi
The CS expressed concern over the rising number of cult-related deaths, lamenting what he described as the collapse of community vigilance and responsibility.
The government has appealed to Kenyans to support security agencies by reporting suspicious religious groups, warning that silence and inaction have allowed cults to thrive and claim lives.
Speaking on Wednesday during the launch of the Jukwaa la Usalama tour in Busia, Interior Cabinet Secretary Kipchumba Murkomen faulted families and neighbours for neglecting their responsibility to raise an alarm when loved ones go missing, saying many deaths could have been prevented through timely reporting.
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“Please report suspicious religions to authorities well in advance before they cause harm to the people,” Murkomen said.
He expressed concern over the rising number of cult-related deaths, lamenting what he described as the collapse of community vigilance and responsibility.
“It is not possible for someone to leave Busia, for example, and their neighbours, family, and friends do not report them missing, especially if they have joined suspicious religions,” he said.
“Why have we abandoned communal living and community policing, where we keep watch over our neighbours and friends?”
Operate in remote areas
Murkomen warned that many cults deliberately operate in remote areas to avoid detection, urging citizens to alert authorities about unusual gatherings or secluded religious activities.
His remarks came in the wake of chilling discoveries at Kwa Bi Nzaro Forest in Kilifi County, where homicide detectives recently exhumed more than 40 bodies linked to a suspected religious cult.
The revelations have reignited national outrage, occurring barely two years after over 450 bodies were recovered from the nearby Shakahola Forest in one of Kenya’s most horrific cult tragedies.
In the earlier Shakahola case, self-proclaimed pastor Paul Mackenzie of the Good News International Church was accused of directing his followers to fast to death, allegedly promising them entry into heaven.
In the ongoing Kwa Bi Nzaro investigation, the government has deployed a multi-agency team to conduct postmortems and DNA analysis to determine the causes of death and identify the victims.
The operation is being coordinated at the Malindi Sub-County Hospital mortuary, with planning meetings led by Homicide Director Martin Nyuguto.
Murkomen stressed that government action alone is not enough to eliminate such threats, insisting that Kenyans must remain alert, involved, and responsible
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