DETECTIVES UN-EARTH FIVE MORE BODIES FROM KWA BINZARO VILLAGE IN KILIFI COUNTY LINKED TO CULT KILLINGS

Detectives have exhumed five more bodies from Kwa Binzaro village in Kilifi county, where suspected cult-linked killings are under investigation. The operation has revived chilling memories of the 2023 Shakahola massacre, in which more than 400 bodies were recovered. The Directorate of Criminal Investigations (DCI) began the exhumation exercise on Thursday, August 21 2025, targeting 27 shallow graves already identified in the area.
By the close of the first day, six graves had been opened, yielding five bodies and at least 10 other body parts scattered on the ground.
Government Pathologist Dr Richard Njoroge, who is leading the forensic team, confirmed the findings. "At the commencement of this exercise, we had identified 27 suspected graves. Today, we managed to exhume six. Of the six, we found five bodies, and in the same area, we recovered 10 different body parts scattered in various places," Njoroge revealed. He added that the exercise would continue until all graves were examined, warning that more bodies are likely to be recovered.
The police believe the Kwa Binzaro cult is tied to the Good News International sect led by controversial preacher Paul Mackenzie, who is already facing charges over the Shakahola massacre. Both sites lie within the expansive Chakama Ranch, a nearly 100,000-acre property that has become notorious for cult-linked activities. Investigators say the cult’s leadership shifted operations deeper into the ranch after police cracked down on Shakahola in 2023.
Police are urging families with missing loved ones to report to Malindi Sub-County Hospital for DNA sampling. Officials fear that more than 10 missing children, including six from a single family, may be among the victims. "After this exhumation exercise, we shall embark on postmortems and take DNA samples from the remains for purposes of matching," Njoroge added.
Investigators also unearthed disturbing evidence of how the suspected cult operated within the thicket. In one enclosure, detectives found what is believed to have been a meeting space, where a woman identified only as Shirleen allegedly presided over gatherings and indoctrination sessions. Nearby, officers discovered a mud and wood structure with three rooms, believed to have served as “dying rooms.”
According to Kilifi County Commissioner Josephat Biwott, followers who agreed to fast to death were locked inside. "Still in the thickets is a structure with three rooms… these are believed to be the dying rooms, quite literally. It is believed that the faithful who had agreed to fast to death were held in two of the rooms, one for men and the other for women. The victims would stay there until they breathed their last. Their bodies were collected in the central room before being transferred to yet another room, then buried in different places within the five-acre ranch," Biwott explained.