State to erect memorial site for shakahola “Cult of Death” victims

Interior and National Administration Cabinet Secretary Kipchumba Murkomen has announced plans to construct a memorial site at the Shakahola gravesite to commemorate the tragedy of over 400 people who died in the apostle Paul Makenzi led cult.

Murkomen spoke as he appealed to families who lost their loved ones in the massacre to provide DNA samples for identification.

The probe, Murkomen said, has been delayed by families that are yet to provide the samples to fast track identification to ultimately allow affected families get closure.

The ministry said, that this process will enable the government to establish a monument for the unidentified bodies retrieved at the shallow graves in Shakahola forest, which is part of the Chakama Ranch in Kilifi County.

“ We are committed to expediting the investigations and the Government Chemist is seeking samples for DNA matching,” said the Murkomen.

Adding that the ministry is, “calling for for cooperation to get the right samples. Only few people are complaining of losing their people. For those not identified, we will make a memorial site.”

Contrary to CS Murkomen’s assertions, 333 DNA samples have already been collected against the 453 retrieved bodies. While these samples are over half the number of bodies; only a fraction of them have been matched with their families.

Addressing journalists after a security meeting in Kilifi county, the CS admitted the process had faced financial constraints , contributing it to the delays in completion of the probe.

“The resources required is a lot but we seek a one-off budget to conclude the probe in the next three to four months to designate a site for a monument,” Murkomen said.

He also regretted that the Shakahola incident was an act of religious extremism and radicalization that should have been detected earlier.

“Whether this was an act of omission or commission by our security officers between 2020 and 2021, people specially culpable, perhaps due to some lapses, we will get to the bottom of that and proper evidence will lead to prosecution,” said Murkomen, adding that, “governments act in perpetuity and therefore it is regrettable that somebody received intelligence and failed to act on it.”

The Shakahola doomsday cult came to the limelight in March 2023. It emerged that the cult leader, Paul Makenzi, former taxi driver turned preacher had encouraged his followers to fast to death in order to “meet Jesus” and that “the end was coming and Satan would rule the world for over 10,000 years”

As a result, more than 500 people are believed dead and 453 bodies have been dug out the shallow graves in the far flung Shakahola forest in Kilifi county.