Foreigners Among Victims of Shakahola Massacre

Interior Cabinet Secretary Kithure Kindiki has said that some of the victims of the “Shakahola massacre” were foreigners from neighboring countries.

Appearing before the Ad hoc Committee on the Proliferation of Religious Organizations on Friday, the CS said preliminary investigations show that some of the victims traveled from neighboring countries to join Pastor Paul Mackenzie’s church.

Kindiki was quick to point out that locals avoided Mackenzie’s church after learning of his wayward ways.

“At the beginning, most of his followers were locals but after learning of his antics, many of them left,” he said.

The CS said the majority of the victims were from western, Northern Kenya, Eastern, Nyanza and some parts of Coast.

Some 241 bodies have so far been exhumed from shallow graves in the forest since the horrific cultic occurrences came to light on April 14.

Autopsies on the first 112 bodies showed that most of the victims died of starvation.

Some victims, including children, were strangled, beaten, or suffocated, the head of forensic operations, Johansen Oduor, said two weeks ago.

Police have so far arrested 39 people and rescued 91 others from the forest.

The Shakahola massacre is one of the most horrific crimes in Kenya’s recent history. It is a reminder of the dangers of religious extremism and the importance of vigilance against cults and other forms of harmful religious practices.