KILIFI, Kenya — Police in Kilifi County have discovered seven shallow graves containing human remains in Kwa Binzaro village, leading to suspicions of yet another case of cult-related practices in the region.
According to the county’s Directorate of Criminal Investigations (DCI) boss, Robert Kiinge, the victims are believed to have died in circumstances similar to previous incidents in the area.
The discovery comes just a month after a police operation in the same Chakama area, where four individuals were rescued from a secluded homestead and a “prime suspect” was arrested.
At that time, the Interior Ministry announced that it was investigating the mysterious deaths of at least three other people, and two human skulls along with an unidentified body had been recovered nearby.
In a statement released on July 22, the ministry provided details on the rescued individuals. “A 50-year-old man who had been reported missing at Siaya Police Station on April 15, his 40-year-old wife, and two females aged 40 and 19, were rescued from the compound,” the statement read.
The ministry further noted, “Preliminary assessments indicate that the individuals may have been held under the influence of radical teachings.”
The Chakama area encompasses a part of the infamous Shakahola forest, where more than 450 bodies were exhumed from shallow graves in a 2023 religious cult case known as the Shakahola massacre.
In that case, Pastor Paul Mackenzie of the Good News International Church is accused of instructing his followers to fast to death in order to meet Jesus.
Also Read: Kenya uncovers suspected Kilifi cult: Two skulls and a body found, stirring Shakahola memories
Adding to the complexity of the recent case, it has been reported that the man and wife rescued last month were among those who had been rescued during the 2023 operation but had disappeared again earlier this year.
The man’s brother told Vivid Voice News that the couple had fled their Siaya home with six children in March before resurfacing in Kilifi.
The discovery of the new graves further underscores deep-seated concerns about the persistence of religious extremism and cult activity in the region.
