MALINDI, Kenya Apr 22 – In Christianity, dead bodies are always buried in coffins, and at least six feet deep in the ground.
However, Kenyan police officers, rights activists, journalists and Magarini residents were on Friday dumbfounded to find seven bodies of people believed to be followers of controversial Malindi preacher Paul Mackenzie Nthenge, buried in shallow graves, and they were only wrapped in pieces of clothes.
At least 58 graves have been identified on the 800-acre parcel of land that is believed to be owned by the controversial pastor of Good News International Church.
Although his church was shut down in 2019, Mackenzie has continued to attract the masses through his preaching of the ‘end times and fasting to go to heaven.’
Police are holding Mackenzie for 14 days to conclude investigations over his ‘radical’ teachings of asking his followers to fast for days without water or food until they die.
He is yet to be charged officially.
On Monday, police got court orders to exhume 14 bodies of people who are believed to have died after starving for days on instructions of Mackenzie.
Since Wednesday, officers drawn from the Directorate of Criminal Investigation (DCI) have been mapping the vast Shakahola land for graves. So far, more than 58 graves have been identified.
On Friday afternoon, homicide detectives and government pathologists began the exhumation exercises in an area that had about eight fresh graves.
By the end of the day, seven bodies; including two children, had been retrieved. They were placed in body bags and transferred to Malindi Hospital for autopsy, according to police.
The exercise is expected to continue Saturday.
According to locals, Mackenzie has named the Shakahola villages with names from the Bible. Where he built his house is referred to as ‘Galilee’.
They refer to the whole 800-acre parcel of land as the ‘Holy Land.’ They have villages like Bethany, Galilee, Sidon, and others.
Where the seven bodies were retrieved Friday is known as ‘Sidon.’
Haki Africa Rapid Response Officer, Mathias Shipeta, who was present during the exhumation exercise, described Mackenzie’s belief as ‘demonic.’
“What I witnessed today is just demonic. How do you explain bodies wrapped only in lesos, shallow graves and mass graves? That is just like a massacre,” said Shipeta.
