The first bodies of followers of an evangelical sect in Kenya, whose pastor preached fasting until death, must be returned to the families on Tuesday March 26, almost a year after the discovery of the first victims.

A total of 429 bodies have been found since excavations began in April 2023 in the southeastern Shakahola forest near the town of Malindi, where self-proclaimed pastor Paul Nthenge Mackenzie advocated fasting until death to “meet Jesus” before the end of the world which he announced for August 2023.

It took almost a year to identify the bodies using DNA. Francis Wanje, a high school teacher, who lost eight members of his family, told AFP that four of them had been identified.

The disappearance of his two grandchildren was the trigger for the investigation and the discovery of the bodies in Shakahola. “We thought the government could help us with the burial, but we had to organize everything ourselves. Paying for four funerals is not an easy thing,” he lamented.

Children who died of strangulation, beating or suffocation

A taxi driver before proclaiming himself a pastor, Paul Nthenge Mackenzie has been in detention since April 14, the day after the discovery of the first victims in the Shakahola forest where his “International Church of Good News” was meeting.

Searches carried out in this vast “bush” area of ??the Kenyan coast have since discovered 429 bodies in graves or mass graves, deaths which took place over several years. At least 35 other mass graves have been identified and new exhumations which should begin soon could further increase the toll.

Autopsies revealed that the majority of victims died of starvation. But some victims, including children, were strangled, beaten or suffocated. The families of the victims had to wait almost a year, notably due to delays in DNA profiling due to lack of reagents and equipment.

The Kenya National Human Rights Commission (KNCHR), an official but independent body, last week lamented the slowness of the process and accused authorities of withholding the results for security reasons. “This not only delays justice, but also violates their cultural rights under Article 44 of the Constitution to bury their loved ones in a culturally acceptable and dignified manner,” KNCHR said in a report. People are anxious and need to put an end to this matter. »

Paul Nthenge Mackenzie, in detention since April 14, 2023, is being prosecuted for “terrorism”, “torture” and “cruelty” against children.