Kenyan authorities have launched a new investigation into suspected cult-related deaths in Kilifi County, the same region where the Shakahola massacre shocked the nation two years ago. A court has authorized the exhumation of bodies believed to be buried in shallow graves near Malindi, amid fears of a fresh wave of religious extremism.

According to the Office of the Director of Public Prosecutions, investigators suspect that multiple individuals were murdered through starvation and suffocation, driven by extreme religious ideologies.

The case has drawn immediate comparisons to the 2023 Shakahola tragedy, where cult leader Paul Mackenzie allegedly instructed followers to fast to death in preparation for the end of the world. Mackenzie remains on trial for murder, terrorism, and child cruelty charges.

The current investigation centers on a compound in Binzaro village, Chakama location, where police recently discovered two human skulls and the body of a man bound with rope, hidden under a mattress.

Authorities rescued four emaciated individuals, including a couple previously saved during the Shakahola operation, who had reportedly vanished again earlier this year.

Disturbingly, at least eight children are feared dead in this latest case. One rescued man, Jairus Otieno, told police that all six of his children had died at the compound, which allegedly practiced staged starvation rituals in a “prayer room” where victims were wrapped in plastic sheets before burial.

The court has ordered that exhumations be followed by autopsies, DNA testing, and toxicology analysis, with forensic teams preparing to comb the entire five-acre property for additional graves. Eleven suspects have been arrested, including individuals linked to the sale and management of the land where the deaths occurred.

Interior officials have acknowledged the complexity of policing vast areas like Chakama Ranch, which spans over 150,000 acres, and warned that cultic activities may be difficult to detect when carried out in isolated pockets.

Human rights advocates have raised concerns about a “Shakahola Two,” citing failures in post-rescue surveillance and reintegration. The recurrence of such atrocities has prompted renewed calls for regulation of religious organizations and community-based monitoring.

As Kenya braces for another painful chapter in its struggle against religious extremism, investigators say the full scope of the tragedy may take weeks to uncover. The exhumation process is expected to begin imminently, with authorities urging residents to report any suspicious burial sites.

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