Nairobi — The second phase of postmortem exercise on the victims of controversial televangelist Paul Mackenzie's starvation cult will commence on Wednesday, May 24, at the Malindi Sub-County Hospital.
The Ministry of Interior and National Administration clarified on Saturday that exhumations at Shakahola forest had been temporarily suspended to make logistical arrangements for the postmortem examination of an additional 123 bodies recovered in Phase II of the exhumation exercise.
The clarification was made in response to claims from some quarters suggesting a complete halt in the exhumation and rescue efforts of the Good News International Church followers in the 800-acre Shakahola forest located in Malindi's expansive Chakama Ranch.
The Interior Ministry further emphasized that the search and rescue operations for the starvation cult survivors will continue unaffected.
"The search for and rescue of survivors within Shakahola Forest and The Chakama Ranch generally will continue uninterrupted," the Interior Ministry said.
As of Thursday, the death toll from the Shakahola massacre stood at 235 before the exhumation teams took a break.
Extended search
The Ministry of Interior announced that the search efforts will be expanded into the edges of the neighboring Tsavo East National Park in the coming days, utilizing ground and drone search techniques.
The Cabinet Secretary Kithure Kindiki-led ministry clarified that the grave search and exhumation activities will resume once the Phase 2 postmortem exercise concludes.
Police and other rescue workers are undertaking a search and rescue mission in the forest since last month after 610 people were reported missing.
"There was one person rescued today from the forest in the ongoing search and rescue operation," she said.
Police believe most of the bodies found in a forest near the Indian Ocean town of Malindi belong to followers of Paul Nthenge Mackenzie, a taxi driver-turned-preacher who is accused of inciting them to starve to death "to meet Jesus".
Mackenzie detention
Mackenzie has not yet been required to enter a plea but on May 10 a court ordered him to be detained for three more weeks pending further investigations over what has been dubbed the "Shakahola Forest Massacre".
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The 50-year-old founder of the Good News International Church turned himself in on April 14 after police acting on a tip-off first entered Shakahola forest.
While starvation appears to be the main cause of death, some of the victims -- including children -- were strangled, beaten or suffocated, according to chief government pathologist Johansen Oduor.
Questions have been raised about how Mackenzie, a father of seven, managed to evade law enforcement despite a history of extremism and previous legal cases.
The horrific saga has stunned Kenyans and led President William Ruto to set up a commission of inquiry into the deaths and a task force to review regulations governing religious bodies.
Another pastor accused of links to Mackenzie and to the bodies found in the forest was released on bail at a court hearing last week.
Ezekiel Odero, a high-profile and wealthy televangelist, is being investigated on a raft of charges including murder, aiding suicide, abduction, radicalisation, crimes against humanity, child cruelty, fraud and money laundering.
