Family that lost 12 relatives in Shakahola remains hopeful
Members of the public stream into Malindi Sub-County Mortuary in Kilifi County on March 26 2024 in search of their missing relatives.
What you need to know:
- Alice Mwajuma Deche lost two of her children and 10 grandchildren.
- Ms Deche, 66, has remained with three daughters and a son.
A family that lost 12 relatives in Shakahola has expressed optimism about finding all their remains.
This after one of their deceased relative's remains were identified and buried on Thursday.
The remains of Elizabeth Dzidza Mwatsuma were identified through DNA profiling.
The remains were collected by her family members at the Malindi Sub County Hospital in the morning and buried later in the afternoon at their family's cemetery in Chasimba area, Kilifi County.
Lost 12 relatives
Ms Alice Mwajuma Deche, her mother, said she lost two of her children and 10 grandchildren to the cult.
"We have gone through a difficult period. This was not an ordinary occurrence. Losing 12 relatives is tough. We are however thankful that we found one of them," she said.
Ms Deche, 66, has remained with three daughters and a son.
Collect the bodies
Multitudes of people attended the burial that was overseen by Bishops from Pefa Church and the Baptist Church where Ms Deche worships.
The deceased had studied a secretarial course but had no employment by the time of her disappearance in March 2023, according to the family.
More families continued to turn up at the Malindi Sub County Hospital mortuary to collect the bodies of their loved ones that had been preserved for about one year.
