MALINDI, Kenya—Eight bodies recovered from shallow graves in Binzaro Forest, Kilifi County, have been released to grieving families following DNA tests that confirmed their identities.
Government Pathologist Richard Njoroge said eight of the 14 families whose DNA matched the recovered remains had arrived at Malindi Mortuary to collect the bodies, urging the remaining families to come forward and complete the process.
Njoroge said homicide detectives had recovered 53 bodies and 44 body parts from shallow graves in Binzaro Forest as investigations into the deaths continued.
Of the eight bodies released, four were handed over to two families from Migori County, while two each went to families from Homa Bay and Busia counties.
For one family from Migori, the release marked a painful step towards laying six relatives to rest. Titus Omondi said his family lost his brother, his brother’s wife and their four children.
Omondi said the family initially believed his brother had travelled to Galana in search of farmland before later learning that the bodies had been discovered in Binzaro Forest.
He called on the government to take firm legal action against controversial preacher Paul Mackenzie, whom he accused of radicalising followers and promoting extreme fasting associated with deaths in Binzaro and Shakahola forests.
The Binzaro discoveries have renewed concerns over the deaths of people linked to religious extremism and the exploitation of vulnerable followers. The recovery of bodies from shallow graves has also left families facing the difficult process of tracing missing relatives, providing DNA samples and waiting for official identification before burial.
The case has drawn comparisons with the Shakahola tragedy, in which hundreds of bodies were recovered from land in Kilifi County associated with Mackenzie and his followers. The Shakahola deaths exposed the dangers of extremist religious teachings and raised questions about the protection of vulnerable people and the effectiveness of government oversight.
The handover exercise was conducted by homicide detectives led by Director Martin Nyuguto as authorities continued efforts to identify the victims and reunite their remains with their families.
