At exactly 12.28pm on Tuesday, wailing filled the air at Malindi County Hospital mortuary as the first of the families who lost their loved ones in the Shakahola cult massacre were allowed to view the identified bodies.
Dozens of families had streamed into the compound since dawn, hoping that the long-awaited task of giving their loved ones a proper send-off would finally begin.
Kenya Red Cross volunteers were on hand to advise the families, especially those preparing to view the bodies of their loved ones, as most of the remains are skeletal.
But only 34 of the 429 bodies of Shakahola followers, who either died of starvation from fasting or were murdered in the forest for defying the cult, have been positively identified.
On Tuesday, only four bodies were released.
A family who lost seven relatives in the Shakahola massacre was the first to have four identified bodies released for burial.
In a process overseen by the Director of Homicide Investigations at the Directorate of Criminal Investigation, Martin Nyuguto, and the Chief Government Pathologist, Dr Johansen Oduor, the bodies were removed one by one from the refrigerated container being used as a temporary morgue for the Shakahola victims, placed on patient trolleys and taken to the adjacent main mortuary, where relatives were able to view them in small groups.
Relatives are overwhelmed with emotion after seeing their loved ones who died in Shakahola Forest.
Photo credit: Kevin Odit | Nation Media Group
A source told the Nation that the bodies were marked for identification according to the results of DNA matching, as some were unrecognisable.
The government subsequently released the bodies of Mr Titus Ngonyo's wife, son, daughter-in-law and grandson to his family.
Three other relatives, Mr Ngonyo's eldest son Isaac Ngala, his daughter-in-law and his two-year-old grandson are still missing.
Mr William Ponda Titus, Mr Ngonyo's only surviving son, said the bodies were being kept at Star Mortuary, a private facility in Malindi, while burial arrangements were made.
"It has been a long journey. It is a relief even though they are dead. At least I will have them closer to home. We plan to bury them in a grave next to my house," Mr Ngonyo said in an earlier interview.
Refused to collect the body
Another family, whose relatives have been identified, refused to collect the body despite turning up at the mortuary.
Mr Boniface Masha Karisa of Magarini, whose three children died in the forest, said only one of them had been identified.
His three children, Pili Masha (15), Sarah Masha (10) and Rukia Masha (18), were allegedly introduced to the cult by their mother, who is currently one of the suspects being held at Shimo la Tewa Prison.
According to Mr Karisa, only Rukia's body has been identified and it has become too costly to follow up the results of the DNA matching process.
Accompanied by several relatives, he said the family had made a last-minute decision to keep the body at Malindi County Hospital until it was ready for burial.
Mr Titus Ngonyo and his son William Ponda.
Photo credit: File | Nation
"It is unfortunate that the government is not helping us with the burial plans. Things are difficult. We have spent a lot of resources following this process and the court cases that are going on in Malindi and Mombasa. Right now I have people gathered at my house waiting for the burial and I have to feed them," he said.
Slow pace of identification
He added that the slow pace of identification was too distressing and burying one child while the fate of the others remained unknown would not ease the family's pain.
Human rights groups have called on the government to speed up the process of identifying the bodies, with plans for a further phase of exhumations that could increase the number of dead.
Ms Roseline Odede, chairperson of the Kenya National Commission on Human Rights (KNCHR), expressed concern about the fate of the remaining unidentified bodies.
"We are told that there is a shortage of reagents at the government chemist. The government needs to find resources to speed up the process," she said.
Similar sentiments were echoed by Amnesty International Kenya's executive director Irungu Houghton, who also called on families who suspect their loved ones died in Shakahola to come out and help identify the bodies.
The state has charged 95 suspects in the deaths of more than 400 people believed to be followers of the Good News International Church, led by the main suspect, Paul Mackenzie.
The suspects have so far denied charges ranging from terrorism to murder in various courts in Malindi and Mombasa.
