Wetin we know about di new bodies wey dem bring out near Shakahola Forest for Kenya

Two officers carrying a body in a body bag from the exhumation site near the Shakahola forest

Wia dis foto come from, YASUYOSHI CHINA/GETTY IMAGES

Wetin we call dis foto, FILE - Detectives don dey search large area for di fresh graves
    • Author, Anita Nkonge
    • Role, BBC News
    • Reporting from, Kenya
  • Read am in 4 mins

Dem bin exhume 13 bodies and 18 body parts from shallow graves near di Shakahola Forest for di coastal region for Kenya.

Di exhumation process wey dey happun for Kwa Binzaro Village begin last week afta many children bin miss.

Na so dem begin to chook fresh eye for di mata.

E neva dey clear at dis time if di disappearance and di death dey connected to di case wia one pastor Paul Mackenzie bin allegedly make im followers starve to death inside di forest as part of rituals.

For one of di worst cases of cult-related mass deaths for di kontri, dem bin find more dan 400 bodies for 2023 for di Shakahola Forest wey dem believe say na followers of di pastor wey bin allegedly encourage dem to starve to death.

Dis fresh bodies wey dem bin dey exhume na afta one order for July when di children don miss, wey trigger investigation.

Prosecutors tok say dem don arrest 11 pipo wey dey connected to dis case - three of dis pipo na followers of Pastor Mackenzie at di time of di "Shakahola Forest Massacre"

Mackenzie wey dem arrest last year and bin plead not guilty to manslaughter, allegedly tell im followers say dem gatz stop to dey chop if dem wan reach heaven fast fast.

Im and 29 co-accused pipo currently dey on trial.

AFP news agency bin report say one court for Mombasa bin adjourn di ongoing case early dis month wey dem tok say dem find fresh evidence.

Open shallow graves after bodies were exhumed

Wia dis foto come from, YASUYOSHI CHIBA/GETTY IMAGES

Dem bin find five bodies for di exhumation site for Kwa Binzaro village near Shakahola Forest on Thursday, dem find four more on Friday and three more on Monday 26 August.

"We Neva finish di search; di area don big well well, so we dey expect more bodies," govment pathologist Richard Njoroge tok Reuters news agency on Thursday.

"Dis na to appeal to di public wey dia loved ones don miss to report to Malindi District hospital. We get di Red Cross desk for dia, wey dem go take dia details, dem also go take dia DNA samples."

For di Mombasa High Court on Monday, di prosecution don present three witnesses wey dem bin protect dia identity.

Dem bin tok tori about dia experience wit Mackenzie.

Nineteen-year-old witness PP (no be im real name) wey be minor at di time di tin happun, bin testify say im convert from Islam to Christianity to dey follow Mackenzie Good News International Church.

Im tok say im see plenty children for di Shakahola Forest wey dem bin do plenty burial rituals wey dem call 'wedding' wey dey involve di followers clapping and singing songs as dem believe say di pipo die and dem 'dey wedded to Jesus".

Im identify some of di accused pipo as accomplices as dem bin dey among dose wey bin dey dig di graves wia dem use soil to cover dem to hide di bodies.

10-year-old EGW (no be im real name) tell di court say im papa bin carry am to stay for di Shakahola Forest.

Im tok how im two siblings don die, wey dem bin ask am to 'pull out' im own death clothes; one turquoise blue shirt and white trousers wey im gatz wear.

Dem don eventually rescue am and carry am go hospital for treatment.

EGW bin identify im mama and brother through DNA sample test.

Di trial go continue on 26 August and prosecution go present more witnesses.

For July dis year, di Kenya office of Director of Public Prosecutions tok say di pipo wey dem bury fit "starve and suffocate sake of dis extreme religious beliefs".

Hussein Khalid wey be human rights activist and CEO of Vocal Africa bin witness as dem bin dey exhume di bodies last Thursday.

"Di first body wey dem bin find by itsef dey like dem just put am for dia recently. But di oda four don dey dia for long wey dem bin dey rot," im tell di BBC.