After two years of waiting, some families whose loved ones perished in the Shakahola massacre linked to controversial preacher Paul Mackenzie can now finally lay them to rest.
For two long years, the bodies of their kin have lain cold at the Malindi Sub-County Hospital mortuary, tagged, numbered, and stored as forensic teams worked to match DNA samples to desperate relatives who had been left in painful suspense.
On Monday, the government began another phase of releasing identified bodies to the next of kin for burial. The latest exercise targets 37 positively identified victims, marking a significant step towards closure for the affected families.
Among them is the family of former General Service Unit (GSU) officer Isaack Ngala, who perished in the forest alongside his wife and two children.
The 36-year-old officer had deserted duty in 2021 and joined the cult in Shakahola with his wife, Emily Wanje, his mother, and their children, Seth and Imani. While Emily was buried last year, Isaack’s body was only identified recently.
His father, Mr Titus Ngonyo Gandi, was at the mortuary on Wednesday to view his son’s remains, an experience he described as deeply painful.
“We have been shown the body, and it is currently preserved at the morgue. The burial is scheduled for November 5 in the Muyeye area,” he said quietly, his voice trembling as he spoke of his son, the family’s breadwinner.
Mr Titus Ngonyo Gandi during an interview with the Daily Nation at Kamale village, Kilifi County, on June 16, 2025. He lost two sons, their wives, and three grandchildren in the Shakahola tragedy.
Photo credit: Wachira Mwangi | Nation Media Group
He expressed frustration over the financial strain facing the family as they prepare for the burial, saying the costs have been overwhelming.
“The grave preparation is ongoing, but we are financially strained and need support,” he said, appealing to well-wishers and the government for assistance.
Isaack’s father-in-law, Mr Francis Wanje, echoed the same plea.
“We are in a bad financial situation because last year we buried four of our relatives who were identified. We really need help to give them a decent send-off,” he said.
Mr Ngonyo’s grief runs deep; he lost six family members in the Shakahola tragedy that claimed over 429 followers of the Good News International Church led by Mackenzie. Those that died were his wife, Esther Bahati Masha, sons Ngala and Harry Ngonyo, daughter-in-law Emily Wanje, and two grandchildren.
Bodies exhumed at Shakahola Forest being loaded into a police van in this picture taken on May 16, 2023.
Photo credit: File | Nation Media Group
Ngala had served as a GSU officer attached to the Anti-Stock Theft Unit since 2011, while his mother, Ms Masha, was a hawker at White Elephant Beach. The family once worshipped at Calvary Worship Centre in Muyeye, where Harry played the keyboard and pursued a shipping course in Mombasa.
“All was well until my wife joined Mackenzie’s church in Furunzi,” said Mr Ngonyo. She later convinced their sons to follow her, and by 2018, Harry had dropped out of college.
The tragedy extended to other counties as well. Bodies identified this week include those of Titus Mulinga from Trans Nzoia County, Samuel Kirimi, an eight-year-old boy from Tigania West, and Maurice Kingi Mutungi from Imenti North in Meru County.
According to a status report seen by Nation , family members associated with the four bodies presented themselves and viewed the remains of their kin after documentation and counselling sessions.
However, homicide and forensic detectives noted that several relatives who identified their loved ones expressed difficulty in transporting the bodies home due to lack of funds.
“Pursuant to that request, the team has ferried the body of Maurice Kingi Mutungi to Meru Mortuary pending burial by the family,” the report added.
By Tuesday, 10 bodies had been released after additional identifications were confirmed through DNA profiling.
he officers in charge of the exercise urged relatives who have already identified their loved ones not to abandon the process but to follow through and collect the remains for burial.
The family of Lewi Thoya is preparing to bury his brother’s wife, who also died in the forest. The burial is set for November 8. Evans Kolombe Sirya is charged together with Mackenzie in all four criminal cases.
In an earlier testimony before the court, Mr Thoya recounted how his brother, (Kolombe) abandoned his thriving contracting business in Malindi and joined Mackenzie’s church before relocating to the forest.
Locals from Shakahola Centre help dig up graves at Shakaola forest part of the 800 acres linked with cult leader Paul Mackenzie of Good News International Church on June 6, 2023.
Photo credit: File | Nation Media Group
“My brother was doing very well in business. He helped me a lot because he earned good money. But things changed after he joined the church,” Thoya said.
He narrated how in 2018, Kolombe withdrew his six children from school, claiming education was against God’s will.
“When we asked him why, he said education was not part of God’s plan,” Thoya recalled. “He told us his children would not receive any formal education.”
That was the last time Thoya saw his brother before he disappeared into the forest under Mackenzie’s influence.
