Pathologists have begun conducting postmortems for the 109 bodies exhumed from Shakahola massacre graves in Magarini Sub Ciunty of Kilifi County.
The Excersize kicked off on Monday morning despite the rains that have been witnessed in the area and were officially launched by Interior Cabinet Secretary Kithure Kindiki.
Chief Government Pathologist Johansen Oduor will lead a team of Pathologists from the government together with Det5ective from the Homicide Unit, forensic experts among other experts in the exercise.
Addressing journalists after touring the Malindi Sub County Hospital Mortuary where the exercise will be conducted the CS said the postmortem will take at least one week to be completed.
He however said the DNA tests and matching of the samples of the dead and family members might take over one month as it was a technical process.
Kindiki urged members of the public to be patient as the government embarks on the process to establish the truth about the massacre of Shakahola.
So far he said so far the government has resorted to using technology to conduct the operation in the 800-acre parcel of land adding that the entire Chakama ranch now is a crime scene.
Kindiki said they will now be using drones and helicopters which will be deployed once the logistics arrangements are over.
“We are here to witness the commencement of a very critical stage concerning what happened to our people in Shakahola forest am sure everybody knows the facts around the incidents that are here today,” he said.
So far he said they have recovered 110 bodies from Shakahola adding that the exhumation was stopped temporarily due to weather.
JHe said the experts advised that when it rains the process could not continue as the rains will affect the samples.
“I want to confirm that the exhumation process will continue as soon as the rains stopped, “ he said.
Kindiki9 said the scene is under the GSU officers as it was a crime scene.
He said they have three teams, pathologists, a DCI homicide unit and forensic units for purposes of DNA and the team from government chemists that will deal with toxicology and other tests that will be required.
The CS said postmorterm starts immediately adding that it will take a week as it was a process that Is time bound but other factors could arise that could cause delay.
Kindiki said the operation commander going forward will be senior assistant IG Peter Ndung’u who will support what the regional commander was doing but they beefed up the operation so as to ensure all goes well.
