An emotional scene played out again at the Malindi Mortuary on Thursday as families collected the remains of relatives who died in the Shakahola tragedy.
The long and painful wait continues for many, but for 16 families, closure has begun as they prepare to lay their loved ones to rest after nearly two years of uncertainty.
Among those present was George Keya Okaka, who finally received the bodies of four members of his family — his wife and three children aged 15, 11 and 6. The moment, filled with grief and disbelief, marked a step in his long search after losing his wife and five children to the Shakahola cult.
Okaka shared that his family’s troubles began in 2019 when his wife became influenced by the teachings of Paul Mackenzie while they lived in Nairobi’s Industrial Area.
Despite shifting homes to Makongeni in hopes of breaking her away from the cult, she continued to secretly follow Mackenzie’s teachings and stay in touch with his followers.
He recalled how her commitment to the preacher deepened over time, eventually leading her to abandon their home in Kakamega last year with all five children.
"Nilikuwa hapa mwezi wa tatu nikaleta DNA kwa ajili ya watoto wangu watano na mke wangu. Kwa sasa miili imepatikana ni nne: watoto watatu na mama. Kwa saa hii ni mipango ya mazishi," he said during the handover.
Okaka tried several times to protect his family and remove them from the cult’s influence, but each attempt failed.
"Nilijua wakati Mackenzie alishikwa nikajua amepotelea kwa Mackenzie. Nikajaribu kuwatorosha 2020. Mke wangu akajaribu kutoroka tena. 2022 alikuwa na number ya kucoordinate na wafuasi wa Mackenzie. Wakati moja nilipata amechoma ID akatoroka," he narrated.
He said his wife pulled the children out of school and rejected medication, believing it was unnecessary.
"Alitoa watoto kwa shule akasema ata madawa hayafai. 2023 ndio alitoka kwa nyumba yangu," he added.
While four bodies have now been found, Okaka remains hopeful that the remains of his other two children — aged four years and eight months — will also be identified through DNA analysis.
On Thursday, mortuary officials confirmed that three families successfully identified their kin, bringing the number of bodies released so far to 16. However, more than 300 bodies remain unclaimed as tests continue.
Human rights groups urged families with missing relatives to provide DNA samples to help speed up the process and support the ongoing court case.
"Kile kinachoendelea ni DNA testing. Ile miili iko hapa ni mingi sana. So far 60 bodies ndio imematch. Kuna more than 300 bodies ambazo bado kutambuliwa," said activist Walid Sketty.
"Process hii ni muhimu kwa sababu ile kesi inayoendelea, majina ya waliofariki itakuwa important," added Mathias Shipeta from Haki Afrika.
The handover exercise will proceed on Friday as more families wait for answers and burial plans take shape.
