Police rescue four people, find two human skulls at farm in new radicalization drive in Kilifi

FILE IMAGE OF A POLICE LINE

Security agencies foiled new suspected case of religious radicalisation in Binzaro Village, Chakama Location, Langobaya Division, Kilifi County.

The team rescued four members of a family from a farm they were staying for two months after going missing from their Siaya home, more than 800 kilometers away.

Ironically, the area is few kilometers away from Shakahola forest where more than 400 people were found murdered and buried in shallow graves.

There are fears the teams could find more human remains in the new site.

Acting on a tip-off from members of the public, security and intelligence teams conducted a swift operation targeting a secluded five-acre homestead linked to suspicious religious activity.

During the operation, four individuals – a 50-year-old man who had been reported missing in Siaya Police Station on April 15, 2025, his 40-year-old wife, and two females aged 40 and 19 – were rescued from the compound.

According to police, preliminary assessments indicate that the individuals may have been held under the influence of radical teachings.

Police said two human skulls and the freshly deceased body of an unidentified adult male were discovered in nearby thickets.

This meant three people were buried in the area in shallow graves.

The remains were transferred to the Malindi Sub-County Hospital Mortuary for preservation, identification, and forensic examination.

Police said a prime suspect in the new case of radicalization was arrested alongside three individuals identified as the operational managers of the homestead.

Additionally, three other persons were detained in connection with the sale of the property to the suspect, amid unresolved questions surrounding the legality and transparency of the ownership and transaction processes.

The latest developments evokes memories of the Shakahola massacre where more than 400 people were found murdered and buried in shallow graves in the same area.

The Shakahola Forest incident, also known as the Shakahola massacre, involved a religious cult led by Paul Nthenge Mackenzie, founder of Good News International Church.

MacKenzie and his 92 co-accused are charged radicalization, engaging in criminal activity and being in possession of an article connected with an offence under the prevention of terrorism Act

In the latest incident, police said investigations are ongoing to establish the full circumstances relating to the acquisition, management, and use of the parcel.

The Directorate of Criminal Investigations (DCI) Malindi was granted continued protective custody of the rescued individuals and has applied for warrants to conduct a more comprehensive forensic search of the site.

The premises have since been secured and documented by the crime scene investigation team.