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26m ago

Five Bodies Exhumed From New Graves Near Malindi in Kenya Cult Probe

Officials foresee additional remains, with inquiries focusing on ties to Paul Mackenzie’s church.

FILE - Police officers stand near a cordon at the scene where bodies of victims of a Christian cult are being exhumed in a forest in the Shakahola area, near Malindi town, Kenya, Tuesday, April 25, 2023. (AP Photo/File)
FILE - Police and local residents load the exhumed bodies of victims of a religious cult into the back of a truck in the village of Shakahola, near the coastal city of Malindi, in southern Kenya, Sunday, April 23, 2023. (AP Photo/File)
FILE - Former Kenya Interior Minister Kithure Kindiki, center, in a white shirt, inspects graves where victims of a Christian cult are buried in the Shakahola forest, near the tourist town of Malindi, Kenya, Tuesday, April 25, 2023. (AP Photo/File)
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Overview

  • Authorities said teams opened multiple shallow graves at Chakama Ranch on the outskirts of Malindi and recovered at least five bodies from four graves after excavating 27 suspected sites.
  • State pathologist Dr Richard Njoroge reported six graves exhumed, five bodies recovered, and about ten scattered body parts found, adding that more discoveries are expected.
  • Prosecutors said at least 11 suspects are under investigation in connection with the deaths, while Sky News reported arrests with court appearances expected on Friday.
  • Police are examining possible links to Paul Nthenge Mackenzie and his Good News International Church, the group tied to the 2023 Shakahola mass deaths where more than 400 bodies were exhumed.
  • Investigators urged families with missing relatives to provide DNA samples to aid identification as forensic work continues at the site.