A Malindi court has ordered the continued detention of four Kwa Binzaro cult suspects for an additional 60 days as authorities intensify investigations into mass deaths and exhumations of victims’ remains.
Detectives told the court on Thursday that the extra time would allow them to sort through 102 commingled remains already recovered, conduct post-mortem examinations on 34 exhumed bodies, locate additional graves across the 400-acre forest, and collect scattered body parts.
Malindi Principal Magistrate Joy Wesonga said the prosecution had provided sufficient grounds for the extension.
“The prosecution’s application is allowed. Periodical reports on the progress of investigations shall be filed every three weeks,” she ruled.
Complex Recovery Efforts
Investigators explained that while cult members lived on a five-acre homestead, bodies were buried across a much larger 400-acre area, complicating recovery efforts. Each body will undergo radiological assessments to determine age and trauma before autopsies, a process expected to take at least two weeks.
DNA Analysis Challenges
Inspector Oliver Nabonwe warned in an affidavit that DNA testing could extend beyond the 60-day detention period due to challenges such as the availability of relatives and the quality of samples.
“DNA analysis will take far longer than the 60 days sought, due to challenges such as the availability of relatives and sufficiency of samples,” he said.
The prosecution stressed that identifying the deceased is crucial before filing charges, noting that most victims were buried without clothing in shallow graves less than a foot deep, leaving them exposed to weather and scavengers which degraded DNA quality.
Suspects and Alleged Crimes
The four suspects, self-proclaimed priestess Sharleen Temba Anido, Kahindi Kazungu Garama, Thomas Mukonwe, and James Kazungu—have spent 51 days in custody at Ngerenya, Kilifi, Watamu, and Kijipwa police stations.
Authorities allege they played a key role in reviving radical teachings after fleeing Shakahola, where at least 454 followers of preacher Paul Mackenzie died in 2023. The suspects are accused of radicalising followers and orchestrating mass deaths described as a “holy safari to see Jesus.”
They were separated from an initial group of 11 arrested over the Kwa Binzaro killings, which mirror the Shakahola massacre.
Court records reveal tragic family fates: Mukonwe’s wife and three children are missing and presumed dead; Kazungu’s wife, Dhahabu Kabwere Chea, faces 238 manslaughter charges alongside Mackenzie in Mombasa while their five children remain missing; and Anido’s husband is believed to have died during extreme fasting rituals.
Three other suspects, Safari Kenga, Gona Charo, and Gona Fondo—have been released, while four others were placed under witness protection to assist investigations.
Scale of the Crime
So far, 34 bodies and 102 separate body parts have been recovered from Kwa Binzaro forest, located less than 30 kilometres from Shakahola.
Senior Assistant Director of Public Prosecutions Jami Yamina told the court that perpetrators attempted to conceal their crimes by leaving many victims unburied.
“The recovery of 102 commingled remains confirmed that many victims had been abandoned in thorny thickets to be eaten by animals,” Yamina said.
The prosecution added that most victims were either dumped in the forest or buried in shallow graves, exposing them to scavengers.
Investigators have identified several grave sites, collected DNA samples from families of the missing, interrogated the suspects, and recorded over 50 witness statements.
The four suspects face charges including radicalisation under the Prevention of Terrorism Act, facilitation of terrorism, organised criminal activity under the Prevention of Organised Crimes Act, and murder under the Penal Code.
