• The CS said the government of Kenya will do all it can to unravel what really transpired.
• The death toll stands at 112 but could rise.
Image: HANDOUT
The government on Tuesday started phase 2 of the exhumation of Shakahola cult victims after concluding the postmortem of 112 bodies recovered in the first phase.
Most died of starvation; a few were strangled or suffocated.
They will start by exhuming 20 mass graves in Shakahola forest.
Detectives from the Homicide Unit, government pathologists, forensics experts, the Government Chemist and DCI resumed the exercise on Tuesday morning.
Interior Cabinet Secretary Kithure Kindiki, who oversaw the start of the exhumation, told reporters they are targeting 20 mass graves. He said there may be many more graves in the forest.
The CS said the number is likely to rise well beyond 112 and the process could be protracted as they will ensure all bodies in the 800 acres linked to Pastor Paul Nthenge Mackenzie are exhumed.
Kindiki said security personnel are pursuing crucial leads on people who allegedly aided Mackenzie in the mass deaths.
On Tuesday, three people were arrested.
“I would like to thank every player even as we try to come to terms with one of the worst tragedies the country has ever witnessed," the CS said.
He called it a well-organised and meticulously planned criminal disaster.
The team that performed the postmortem of the Shakahola victims was led by Chief Government Pathologist Dr Johansen Oduor.
He said they were relieved more people were being rescued daily.
“I'm here to oversee the resumption of the exhumation process. By the time we suspended the exercise because of weather, we had about 109 bodies. By evening, it was 110 and then a few others that night, so the total number of bodies subjected to postmortem was 112,” the CS said.
He said the government will do all it can to unravel what really transpired, leading to so many deaths.
Kindiki said they have recorded hundreds of statements from people of interest and people they suspect to have information regarding the deaths.
“We have so far rescued 65 people, including two rescued this morning, and the search is going on,” he said.
Those rescued, he said, have been taken to hospital while the children were taken to children’s homes.
Kindiki said after assessing the nature of thicket they decided to minimise the use of aircraft and concentrate on the use of drones to track movements and disturbance of thickets during the day and night.
He said use of aircraft will be limited due to the thicket cover.
“The drones have been really helpful in supporting the work of the ground team in combination with sniffer dogs,” he said.
The CS said so far, they have arrested 25 people in the operation and they will face different charges.
He said they were zeroing down to two or three perpetrators who aided Mackenzie.
“We have made tremendous progress and we will be arresting more suspects in the second and third tier in the coming days. Some of them are not in this locality but we have an idea where they are,” Kindiki said.
Asked about the issue of missing body parts, he said the investigation team had asked him not to reveal some information that could jeopardise the investigation.
He said the operation will continue until the last body is found in the forest and any follower of Mackenzie is rescued.
Kindiki said the area remains out of bounds for politicians, whatever rank or respect they command in the society.
(Edited by V. Graham)