Kenya to release first cult massacre bodies to families

In a case that stunned the nation and the globe, Kenyan police are scheduled to reveal the remains of many individuals associated with a doomsday starvation cult on Tuesday.

After nearly a year of arduous labour to identify them using DNA, the remains are the first to be returned to their relatives.

Excavations of shallow mass graves located in a lonely wilderness inland from the Indian Ocean port of Malindi were conducted in April of last year, yielding hundreds of dead, some of which were those of children.

In what has been called the “Shakahola forest massacre,” self-described preacher Paul Nthenge Mackenzie is accused of encouraging his followers to starve to death in order to “meet Jesus.”

After being successfully identified by DNA analysis, many of the 429 remains that were excavated between April and October of last year are set to be returned to their families for last resting places.

Even though malnutrition was a major factor in many fatalities, official autopsy revealed that suffocation, strangling, or bludgeoning were the causes of death in several cases, including those of children.

Francis Wanje, a high school teacher, told AFP that four of the eight family members who perished in the disaster had been identified, and a burial would be held for them the following month.

The mass graves were discovered as detectives followed the trail left by his two grandchildren’s disappearance into the large woodland.

“We thought the government could help us with the burial but we have been left to organise everything ourselves. Paying for four funerals is not an easy thing,” he told AFP on Monday.

A homicide officer from the Directorate of Criminal Investigations told AFP it was up to families to make their own burial arrangements.

Families have had to endure a painful wait for the bodies after the DNA profiling was delayed by lack of reagents and equipment.

The Kenya National Commission on Human Rights (KNCHR), a state-backed body, last week deplored the slow process and accused authorities of withholding the results on grounds of security.

“This is not only delayed justice but also violates their cultural rights under Article 44 of the Constitution to bury their relatives in a culturally acceptable and dignified manner,” KNCHR said in a report.

“People are anxious and need closure on the matter.”