After two years of painful waiting, families who lost loved ones in the Shakahola tragedy linked to controversial preacher Paul Mackenzie have begun the long-awaited process of laying them to rest.
On Thursday, grief-stricken relatives gathered at the Malindi Mortuary to collect the remains of their kin, marking a step toward closure after months of anguish.
At least 16 bodies have so far been released to families preparing for burial, while hundreds remain unidentified.
Among them is the family of George Okaka, who received the remains of four loved ones — his wife and three of their children, aged 15, 11, and 6. Overwhelmed with sorrow, Okaka said he had waited two years for this moment.
“I was here in March and brought DNA samples for my five children and wife. For now, the bodies of four; three children and their mother, have been found. At this point, I am only making burial plans,” he said, holding back tears.
Okaka said five of his children were among those who died in the tragedy. He is still waiting for the identification of two of them.
He recounted how his wife became involved with Mackenzie’s teachings in 2019 while they lived in Nairobi’s Industrial Area, where she worked as a casual labourer.
Despite relocating the family to Makongeni in an effort to distance her from the group, his attempts were unsuccessful.
“When Mackenzie was arrested, I knew she had been lost to him. I tried to rescue them in 2020, but my wife escaped again. In 2022, she started communicating with Mackenzie’s followers. At one point, she burnt her ID and fled,” Okaka recalled.
He said his wife later left their Kakamega home in 2023 with the children to join Mackenzie’s followers in the Shakahola Forest, where they eventually died.
“She withdrew the children from school, saying even medicine was not necessary. In 2023, she finally left my home,” he said. Now a widower, Okaka hopes that the bodies of his two remaining children — aged four and eight months — will also be recovered.
Three other families identified the remains of their loved ones on Thursday as mortuary officials continued preparing bodies for transportation and burial.
Human rights groups say at least 60 victims have been positively identified, but more than 300 bodies remain unclaimed. They have urged families with missing relatives to come forward for DNA testing to help speed up the identification process.
“What is ongoing is DNA testing. There are still many bodies here. So far, 60 have matched. More than 300 remain unidentified,” said human rights activist Walid Sketty.
The release of bodies is expected to continue today as more families arrive at the Malindi Mortuary to identify their loved ones.
