Kenyan authorities found at least five bodies that had been buried in shallow graves as they dug in Kilifi County near Malindi. The bodies were discovered in four graves at a location near a place where hundreds of members of a doomsday cult died two years ago. There are still 27 sites being dug as part of the ongoing probe.
Kenya’s prosecution office holds the view that the victims were deliberately starved and suffocated as a result of the extreme religious ideologies they followed.
At least 11 people are potential suspects who are currently under police investigation concerning the deaths. The locals could not explain a number of missing children which is why foul play is suspected.
The find is from the area close to Shakahola Forest where more than 400 bodies were dug up in 2023 turning the incident into one of the largest cult-related disasters worldwide. In that case, the members of the doomsday cult were found dead from starvation as a result of their adherence to extreme religious teachings.
Religious organizations in Kenya faced stricter scrutiny and there were calls for better regulation after the 2023 incident. Apart from the new discoveries, law enforcement is also probing the wider pattern of cult-related deaths in the region.
The authorities have kept quiet about the identities of the victims or the religious group they belonged to. The investigation is aimed at unveiling the total number of deaths linked to extreme religious practices and also at the identification of those who committed the alleged crimes.
