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Kenya

Shakahola Massacre: Bodies of Eight Children Exhumed, Death Toll Hits 98

Shakahola Massacre: Bodies of Eight Children Exhumed, Death Toll Hits 98

The death toll at a ranch in Kilifi County that is owned by Pastor Paul Mackenzie who is accused of leading a religious cult and ordering his followers to fast to death has climbed to 98.

The new figure came after police exhumed eight bodies of children on Wednesday, the sixth day of the exhumation exercise.

The total number of those rescued while starving at the ranch stands at 34 while the Kenya Red Cross Society’s latest figure of people reported missing is 213.

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Makenzi, who heads the Good News International Church, is said to have instructed his followers to fast to death in order to meet Jesus before burying them in shallow graves spread across his 800-acre land in Shakahola, Kilifi County.

The preacher remains in police custody as investigations and exhumation of victims’ bodies continue, with Interior Cabinet Secretary Kithure Kindiki indicating that he could be charged with terrorism and genocide. 

Kindiki, who toured the site on Tuesday, said the security team will upscale search and rescue missions to save as many lives as possible.

The cabinet secretary declared the entire Chakama Ranch where the Shakahola forest is located a disturbed area and an operation zone.

He pointed out that the area is an active security operation zone and no member of the public will be allowed no access to it “except as may be permitted by the operation Commander and/or until these orders are vacated.”

Kindiki further declared a 30-day dusk-to-dawn curfew in the area which will run from 1800hrs in the evening up to and until 0600hrs daily.

To hold any gathering within the 20,418 hectares, one would need to obtain a written order from authorities.

“The government admits this should not have happened. We have opened a formal inquiry on another religious organization based in Kilifi County. We are getting leads that perhaps what was being done at Mackenzie’s was just the tip of the iceberg. The net has been cast wider to all other associates and collaborators of Mackenzie’s evil,” Kindiki noted.
 

Comments (6)

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  1. GuestyApr 26, 2023

    This guy is worse than Uhuru Kenyatta & William Ruto.

    Foreign diplomats
    Jubilee supporters
    Kenya Kwanza supporters
    Should all support Pastor Mackenzie the same way they support ICC Criminals.
    They should use the same energy.

  2. GuestyApr 26, 2023

    They want to steal that land in Chakama.
    In 2019:
    The Lands Chief Administrative Secretary (CAS), Gideon Mung’aro also warned the beneficiaries against selling their title deeds, adding that the government would show them their pieces of land.

    Mung’aro, a former Member of Parliament for Malindi, urged locals to stop the habit of selling their land and squating in other areas.

    “As a ministry, we have listed everyone we gave title deeds not only in Chakama but the whole country and we shall not be giving them second title deeds in the new settlement schemes they ran to,” he said.

  3. Imara - suluhishoApr 27, 2023

    Outlaw the teaching of foreign religions from the school curriculum immediately.

    Ufundishaji wa dini za kigeni upigwe marufuku kwenye mtaala wa masomo shuleni mara moja.

  4. GuestyApr 27, 2023

    All the pastors affiliated and supporting William Ruto & Kenya Kwa should be investigated for criminal misconduct and murderers.

    Serial killers are the biggest supporters of William Ruto.

  5. GuestyApr 27, 2023

    Turns out Mumbi Seraki has been preaching Pastor Mackenzie content.

    She should also be investigated.

    & all the Mpesa pastors being paid by William Kalejinga Ruto & His wife Rachel the fake pastor Ruto.

  6. SimamaImaraApr 27, 2023

    Seraki is a huge false prophet. Owour another humongous low hanging fruit the authorities have winked at for years. He baptized Rao but false doctrine still

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