Police hunt for 16 missing people in probe into fresh cult activities in Kilifi

Authorities have intensified a manhunt for 16 people whose whereabouts remain unknown following the discovery of a suspected cult compound in Binzaro village, Chakama, Kilifi County, which is now under police investigation for religious radicalisation and possible ties to the deadly Shakahola cult.

The missing individuals include six children reported missing at Siaya Police Station on April 15, four other relatives, and six people believed to have been drawn into extremist teachings. Investigators say several suspects in custody have provided information suggesting more victims may be involved.

The children’s parents are among those who have been arrested.

The government has confirmed that four people have already been rescued from the compound, while at least three deaths are under investigation.

According to the Interior Ministry, officers raided the five-acre property after receiving a public alert about suspicious religious activity.

“A 50-year-old man who had been reported missing at Siaya Police Station on April 15, his 40-year-old wife, and two females aged 40 and 19, were rescued from the compound,” read the ministry’s statement.

“Preliminary assessments indicate that the individuals may have been held under the influence of radical teachings.”

Police also recovered two human skulls and the fresh body of an unidentified man in nearby bushes. The five-acre parcel, now designated a crime scene, is said to have been sold to the prime suspect whose identity has not been disclosed.

Three individuals described as managers of the compound are currently in police custody, along with three other people who were involved in the sale of the land. Authorities are probing the legality and transparency of the ownership and the land transaction process.

The Directorate of Criminal Investigations based in Malindi has secured protective custody for the rescued individuals and is seeking court warrants to carry out a forensic search of the compound.

Investigators suspect the woman claiming ownership of the land may be a former follower or sympathiser of Paul Mackenzie, leader of the Good News International Church, who has been in custody since 2023 and is accused of causing the deaths of more than 400 people through forced starvation in Shakahola forest.

Part of Chakama Location borders the forest where the Shakahola tragedy unfolded.

Early findings suggest the group based in Binzaro was trying to regroup after being pushed out of Shakahola.

Detectives believe communication may have been maintained between some of the suspects and Mackenzie before his arrest.

“This case is taking a new dimension. We have reason to believe some of these individuals may have fled Shakahola forest and regrouped here,” said an officer as quoted by Citizen TV.

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It has also emerged that the man and woman rescued from the Chakama site had previously been among those saved during the Shakahola rescue operation in 2023. However, in March this year, they reportedly left their Siaya home with six children aged between one and fifteen.

The man’s brother told Citizen TV last week that the family had been reintegrated into the community but later vanished without explanation.

Police believe the reappearance of this couple at a fresh site under investigation raises serious concerns about the spread of cult ideologies and the possibility of re-emergence in isolated areas, despite government efforts to dismantle radical networks.