Seven bodies exhumed in controversial pastor Mackenzie's land

Homicide unit officers have begun exhuming bodies in the graves believed to be of followers of controversial pastor Mackenzie.

Seven bodies have so far been retrieved, two in one shallow grave.

A team of about 100 officers led by Homicide unit Director together with a pathologist, officers from the DCI, the forensic Department, and regular police are leading the operation.

More than 32 graves were found. Bodies are covered with lesos in the graves.

The exercise began in the afternoon as the Director of homicide gave instructions on the process.

The public was not allowed at the crime scene and journalists were also given instructions on how to conduct themselves at the scene.

After about two hours of digging, there were indications that there were bodies and carefully one body of a grown-up was found followed by two bodies that had been buried in one grave.

That site was identified on Thursday and had 8 graves but 58 others were found within the same area.

By the time of going to press the homicide unit and Forensic experts were exhuming other graves.

Human rights activists from Haki Africa and Malindi Social Justice Center also witnessed the exhuming process.

Mathias Shipeta of Haki Africa said they are happy with the progress made so far by the security agencies.

Victor Kaudo said the government should increase personnel so that they can speed up the exhuming process so that justice process can begin.

During the operation, journalists came across a Nigerian man who was looking for his six family members who disappeared two weeks ago.

He said his wife, child, and sisters came to Malindi and he suspects they came to the pastor in Shakahola.

In an interview, the Nigerian said his wife left his home on April 8 for Likoni after which he joined his sisters to travel to Malindi.

"The last time I called her she had gone to the shop and she was okay but she has never communicated again," he said.

He said he traveled to Malindi and went all the way to Shakahola using Google Maps until he found the police who are conducting the operation but had not seen his six family members.

Locals interviewed thanked the government for conducting the operation to exhume the bodies of Mackenzie's followers.

They however warned the government against releasing the pastor.