Two years after Kenya was shaken by the Shakahola massacre that claimed more than 450 lives, the nation is again facing a chilling reminder of cult-driven deaths.
Investigators have unearthed new graves in Kwa Binzaro village, 27 kilometers from Shakahola, where victims are believed to have starved themselves to death “to meet Jesus.”
So far, at least nine bodies have been exhumed. Forensic experts say the remains are badly decomposed, suggesting burials took place at least a year ago—meaning the victims were alive even after cult leader Paul Mackenzie’s arrest in 2023. This brings the death toll from his dangerous teachings to more than 470.
Unlike Shakahola, where bodies were often wrapped in sheets or blankets, burials in Kwa Binzaro reveal a harsher reality. Victims were stripped naked, laid face up, and dumped in shallow graves barely a foot deep.
Some graves contained multiple bodies, while others showed fractured bones and scattered remains, giving the area a grim stench.
Kwa Binzaro lies over 30 kilometers from the nearest police station, leaving residents vulnerable.
Locals say the absence of security in the vast Chakama ranch has allowed cult members to regroup and continue their deadly practices undetected.
Government officials have acknowledged that the size and remoteness of the forest make it a haven for illegal activity.
Investigators now warn that Mackenzie’s followers have shifted tactics, moving deeper into the forest to conceal their crimes.
The brutality at Kwa Binzaro, they say, points to a “new level of cruelty” compared to Shakahola.
The discovery has reignited outrage and fresh calls for the government to tighten surveillance and dismantle religious cult networks once and for all, as grieving families demand justice for yet another preventable tragedy.
