A Somber Beginning to Closure

MALINDI, KENYA – More than two years after the discovery of mass graves in Shakahola forest shocked the nation, families of the victims have finally begun the somber process of burying their loved ones. On Monday, 27 October 2025, government authorities at the Malindi Sub-County Hospital mortuary commenced the release of the first group of identified remains, marking a significant step towards closure for dozens of families caught in an agonizing limbo.

The latest phase targets the release of 37 positively identified victims. For two years, the bodies have been preserved at the mortuary while forensic teams undertook the complex and slow process of exhumation, post-mortem examinations, and DNA identification. The delays, attributed to the scale of the tragedy and logistical challenges, including a lack of specialized DNA testing reagents, have compounded the grief for relatives.

Among the first to be released are the remains of former General Service Unit (GSU) officer Isaack Ngala, 36, who perished alongside his wife and children after joining the cult. His father, Titus Ngonyo Gandi, who lost six family members in total, described the painful experience of finally viewing his son's body. The family plans to bury him on 5 November 2025. Other identified victims released this week include eight-year-old Samuel Kirimi from Tigania West and Maurice Kingi Mutungi from Imenti North.

The Unravelling of a National Tragedy

The Shakahola massacre, one of the world's worst cult-related tragedies in recent history, was first uncovered in April 2023. Investigators unearthed hundreds of bodies from shallow graves in an 800-acre section of the forest in Kilifi County. The official death toll stands at 429. Autopsies revealed that while many died of starvation, others, including children, were strangled, beaten, or suffocated.

At the centre of the tragedy is self-proclaimed pastor Paul Nthenge Mackenzie, leader of the Good News International Church. Prosecutors allege Mackenzie instructed his followers to starve themselves and their children to death to “meet Jesus” before the end of the world. Mackenzie, a former taxi driver, had allegedly created secluded settlements in the forest, naming them after biblical locations like Jerusalem and Nazareth, where he exerted extreme control over his followers, forbidding them from sending children to school or seeking medical care.

A Labyrinthine Legal Battle

Paul Mackenzie and more than 90 co-accused face a battery of charges, including murder, manslaughter, terrorism, and child torture. The legal proceedings have been complex and fraught with delays. In January 2024, Mackenzie and 30 associates were charged with the murder of 191 children. A separate case involves 238 counts of manslaughter. The trials are ongoing at the Shanzu and Mombasa Law Courts.

The prosecution's case has been built on survivor testimonies, forensic evidence, and expert analysis. On 28 October 2025, Dr. Stephen Anyenda of the Coast Interfaith Council of Clerics testified as an expert witness, stating that Mackenzie's teachings were extreme, misleading, and a dangerous distortion of scripture. Despite the gravity of the charges, Mackenzie has pleaded not guilty.

The Painstaking Process of Identification

The identification of the 429 victims has been a monumental task for Kenyan authorities. The advanced state of decomposition of many bodies made visual identification impossible, necessitating a large-scale DNA profiling operation. The Office of the Government Chemist has faced significant challenges, including a shortage of testing kits and the high cost of polymerase chain reaction (PCR) tests, which are not available locally.

Authorities have repeatedly appealed to relatives of the missing to provide DNA samples to aid the matching process. As of August 2025, out of 453 samples collected from exhumed bodies, only a fraction had been successfully matched, with over 300 bodies remaining unidentified. The government has indicated it may have to conduct mass burials for the unclaimed bodies and has considered establishing a memorial site at Shakahola.

The financial burden on the grieving families has been immense. Many, like Francis Wanje, who lost eight relatives, have appealed for government support to cover funeral expenses, a plea that highlights the devastating socio-economic impact of the massacre on communities across Kenya.

The tragedy has also spurred a national conversation on the regulation of religious organizations, with the government proposing new legislation to increase oversight, a move that has been met with resistance from some religious leaders. As the first burials take place, the Shakahola massacre remains a deep wound on the nation's conscience, raising critical questions about state vigilance, religious extremism, and the long road to justice and healing for the survivors and the bereaved.