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A Kenyan court authorised police on Wednesday to dig up several “shallow graves” found in the same county as a notorious starvation cult that emerged in the East African nation in 2023.
Over 400 individuals lost their lives in one of the most tragic cult-related incidents in history, now referred to as the “Shakahola Forest Massacre,” which was uncovered inland from the coastal town of Malindi.
The incident sent shockwaves throughout the nation and gained international media attention, with the self-declared pastor at the centre of the case currently facing trial in Mombasa. He has entered a not guilty plea to numerous manslaughter charges.
On Wednesday, a court in the nearby town of Malindi granted the Directorate of Criminal Investigations (DCI) permission to exhume several bodies “believed to be interred in shallow graves” on the outskirts of the town.
Prosecutors stated that “investigators suspect that multiple individuals were killed through starvation and suffocation as a result of embracing and promoting extreme religious beliefs.”
They also said that “survivors rescued from the region were unable to clarify the location of several children.”
The prosecutor’s office reported that eleven suspects are currently under investigation.
The Shakahola incident prompted the government to consider stricter regulations for fringe religious groups, following allegations that it could have prevented these fatalities.
Past efforts to regulate religion in this predominantly Christian nation have faced significant resistance in the past, being seen as a challenge to the constitutional separation of Church and state.
