Shakahola cult: Autopsy, DNA testing of victims begins as mobile morgue arrives

Postmortem and DNA tests on the 98 bodies recovered from Shakahola forest in Kilifi, Malindi county begins today, Friday, April 27.

This after the Kenya Red Cross Society, in partnership with the ICRC Nairobi Regional Delegation, dispatched a mobile morgue to Malindi Sub-County Hospital for the preservation of Shakahola massacre bodies.

Speaking after receiving the refrigerated container on Wednesday, Kilifi County executive committee member for Health, Peter Mwarogo said the bodies would be transferred to the container to begin autopsy and DNA tests to establish the identities of the victims and their cause of death.

The makeshift morgue is able to preserve up to 300 bodies and comes as a welcome relief to the overwhelmed Malindi mortuary which has a capacity of 30.

The CEC Member for Health was accompanied by his Disaster counterpart Felkin Kaingu, together with the Kenya Red Cross Regional Coordinator Hasan Musa, Kilifi County Principal Officer for Monitoring and Evaluation Rev. Tom Dawa.

On his part, Musa said so far they have recorded 322 people who are missing. He said they plan to increase more volunteers and personnel to help in the process and psychosocial support.

The high number of bodies from the #Shakahola incident continues to overwhelm facilities in Kilifi County.

To support the county, with help from our partners @ICRC_Nairobi, a refrigerated container has just arrived and will be used as a makeshift morgue for the bodies recovered… pic.twitter.com/Eu3TFEFdZ0

— Kenya Red Cross (@KenyaRedCross) April 26, 2023

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