Editor's Review

"Hii mortuary kwa kweli imelemewa. Tunatafuta njia mbadala ya kuweza kuhifadhi zile miili."

As the exhumation of the bodies of victims of Pastor Paul Mackenzie continues, it has now emerged that the Malindi Sub-county hospital morgue that hosts the remains is now full to capacity.

More than 70 bodies have so far been exhumed from the shallow graves in what is believed to be deaths occasioned by cultic beliefs.

Malindi Sub County Hospital Morgue official Robert Chonga said the bodies exhumed from Shakahola forest have overwhelmed the facility.

He said the facility is devising ways of preserving the bodies to accommodate the ballooning numbers.

"Hii mortuary kwa kweli imelemewa. Tunatafuta njia mbadala ya kuweza kuhifadhi zile miili. Tunaangalia njia kadhaa kueza kuona njia mwafaka ya kuweka hii miili kwa njia ambayo inaonyesha heshima," Chonga said.

Entrance Gate to Malindi Sub County Hospital that hosts the morgue also. PHOTO | COURTESY

But even as the exhumation of the bodies continues, the Kenya Conference of Catholic Bishops has asked authorities to expedite investigations.

A statement by the chair Martin Kivuva called for a review of proposals in the Religious Societies Rules 2015.

He stated that the self-regulation provision currently in place has been jeopardized by the resistance of leadership structures and systems in some churches.

“It is our considered opinion that if a strong mechanism of regulating religions was in place, the long arm of the law would have stopped Pastor Mackenzie from taking advantage of Kenyans to engage in acts of mass suicide,” he said.

The Shakahola forest owned by Mackenzie has been declared a crime scene. 

CS Kindiki said it will remain so until the probe is concluded.