Hundreds of victims of preacher Paul Nthenge Mackenzie’s alleged cultic teachings might be buried in marked graves within Shakahola Forest, following difficulties in positively identifying their bodies through scientific methods.
Chief Government Pathologist Johansen Oduor revealed on Tuesday the likelihood of interring unidentified bodies in the forest in a way that allows for future identification if DNA profiles are generated. Currently, only 34 out of the 453 bodies related to the ‘Fasting to death to see Jesus’ teachings have been positively identified and handed over to relatives, leaving 419 bodies still undergoing identification.
Dr. Oduor, speaking at the start of phase five autopsies on the victims’ bodies, noted that many of the 453 bodies preserved at Malindi Sub County Hospital morgue remain unidentified due to the lack of DNA samples from relatives. “In forensic medicine, the general principle is that if you try all your best to identify someone who is not known, the body is temporarily buried in a marked grave as we wait for analysis to come so that in the event that a profile is generated, we will be able to identify the grave and retrieve the body,” he explained.
Six out of the 24 bodies examined during the fifth phase of exhumations could not have their causes of death determined due to advanced decomposition, which had turned the children’s bodies into skeletons.
Dr. Oduor, alongside Homicide Director Martin Nyuguto, urged relatives of the Shakahola victims to visit nearby government chemists to have their DNA samples taken. He also requested those who have already provided samples to be patient, as the process of extracting DNA is complex and time-consuming. “It is not like a test for malaria or typhoid whose results can be obtained within a day,” he noted.
The Government has generated numerous DNA samples from the preserved bodies and skeletons but lacks sufficient reference samples from relatives, as few have volunteered for DNA extraction.
Dr. Oduor also indicated that the exhumation of bodies from Mackenzie’s alleged cult might be concluded soon since all identified graves have been excavated. “What will happen now is that there will be a last survey which will be undertaken by the Directorate of Criminal Investigations (DCI) in the whole of the forest so that now when we wrap up, we are sure that we are not leaving any human remains in the place,” he said.
The marked graves will ensure that the bodies can be identified and retrieved in the future if more DNA profiles are generated, providing closure to the victims’ families.
