Detectives on Tuesday, July 22, arraigned eleven individuals including a minor at the Malindi Law Courts over suspected cult activities in a forested area near Shakahola.
The arrests, carried out in Kwa Binzaro village in Malindi sub-county in Kilifi County, have reignited fears of a possible resurgence of cult activity in a region still haunted by last year’s Shakahola massacre.
Detectives from the Directorate of Criminal Investigations (DCI) presented the suspects to Malindi Principal Magistrate Joy Wesonga but did not prefer charges. The Office of the Director of Public Prosecutions (ODPP), however, requested an additional 30 days to complete investigations – a petition that is now under the court’s consideration.
Authorities say the group was found in conditions similar to the Shakahola tragedy, which was instigated by pastor Paul Mackenzie of Good News International Church. During the operation, police recovered one body and rescued four people who were found in severely emaciated states.
Among those arrested were a man and his wife, both reportedly former followers of the Shakahola cult. Their arrest has intensified concern that a splinter group inspired by Mackenzie’s teachings may be taking root.
Police are treading carefully as they investigate whether the suspects were trying to establish a new cult linked to the radical ideology that led to the deaths of more than 400 people, when victims were allegedly coerced into fasting to “meet Jesus.”
