Government pathologist Johansen Oduor has announced that the bodies exhumed in Shakahola will be released on March,26,2024.
Addressing journalists on Wednesday, Johansen confirmed the government’s move to start releasing bodies of the deceased for their families to bury.
He further announced that 34 bodies that had already been identified through DNA will be received by relatives from as early as next week.
“So far we have identified 34 bodies linked to their relatives. We are going to start releasing the bodies from next week on 26th,” said Oduor.
The pathologist has also shared steps to be followed when receiving the bodies further, revealing that the government has organized Counsellors who will speak to the affected families.
He noted that the relatives have already been contacted to come and pick bodies of their loved ones.
“We’ve contacted the relatives, and the first batch will arrive on 26th. What will happen is that the relatives will come with a letter from the chief so that we can identify this person as the real relatives to these victims,” Oduor noted.
Johansen Reveals Steps for Picking the Bodies
“Secondly, they will have to come with the person who donated the DNA because this is the person who was directly linked to the deceased.”
The government has urged relatives to come with means of transport in which they’ll use to carry their bodies for interment.
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Additionally, the pathologist noted that DNA tests had been done on several bodies, but the government has failed to link them with their relatives who donated their samples.
He has since advised individuals who might have relatives linked to the Shakahola cult to go for DNA tests so that their loved ones can also be released.
“People are not coming up to claim their loved ones. I am urging people who know that their loved ones are among the victims to come up so that their DNA can be taken and be linked to the ones which we generated so that we release them,” Johansen emphasized.
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After the release, Oduor has revealed that exhuming will proceed as 35 graves have so far been mapped.
He also noted that the release strictly follows the law noting that the bodies should be buried in a way that can be traced for future DNA test when necessary.
In 2023, police arrested controversial pastor Paul Mackenzi for allegedly starving his congregants to death in pursuit of meeting Jesus.
The Homicide team visited the cultic place in which massive graves that are still being exhumed were discovered.
