“Kenya to Release Bodies of Shakahola Cult Victims for Burial”

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"Kenya to Release Bodies of Shakahola Cult Victims for Burial"

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The Kenyan government has announced plans to release some of the bodies of victims associated with the Shakahola starvation cult next week.

Out of the hundreds of bodies exhumed last year, at least 34 have been identified and connected with their respective families.

The bodies of 429 individuals, including children, were unearthed from graves in Shakahola, a remote forest near the coastal town of Malindi. Many exhibited signs of starvation and assault.

According to survivors and victims’ families, self-proclaimed pastor Paul Mackenzie urged members of his Good News International Church to relocate there and prepare for the impending end of the world. Allegedly, Mackenzie instructed them to fast in order to “ascend to heaven”.

The government intends to provide counseling to the families of the victims but will not assist in transporting the bodies for burial, stated chief government pathologist Dr. Johansen Oduor on Wednesday.

Mackenzie has denied any responsibility for the deaths. He, along with several of his followers, is currently facing trial on multiple charges, including terrorism, murder, and torture.

Dr. Oduor disclosed that new exhumations are scheduled to take place within one to two weeks, with 35 additional grave sites identified.

These planned exhumations may lead to a further increase in the death toll.

Dr. Oduor attributed the slow progress in linking bodies to their families to the reluctance of people to come forward and claim their loved ones.