Malindi Court Authorizes Exhumation of Suspected Cult Mass Graves

A Malindi court in Kenya has granted the Directorate of Criminal Investigations (DCI) permission to exhume bodies suspected to be buried in shallow graves in the Binzaro area, believed to be linked to a radical religious cult. The exhumations, directed by Resident Magistrate Irene Thamara, will involve forensic postmortem examinations, DNA testing, and toxicological analysis to determine the causes of death, which preliminary investigations suggest include starvation and suffocation. Eleven suspects are under investigation for their alleged involvement in organized crime, radicalization, facilitation of terrorism, and murder. Survivors rescued from the area have been unable to account for the whereabouts of several children, raising fears of additional victims buried in the region. The DCI is mapping the grave sites and has cordoned off the area as a crime scene, with the exhumation process set to begin after site identification. Human rights activists have criticized the government for failing to protect citizens from such cult activities, highlighting a broader concern about security oversight in Kilifi County.