WHEN BELIEF BECAME DEADLY
SHAKAHOLA FOREST APRIL 2023 I n April 2023, reports emerging from Shakahola Forest in Kilifi County revealed a disturbing tragedy involving followers of a religious group associated with Paul Mackenzie. What initially appeared to be a series of missing-person cases soon developed into one of Kenya's most devastating mass-death investigations. Hundreds of people were reported missing, and as authorities searched the vast forest, graves and human remains were discovered across the area. What followed was more than a search for missing people. The forest became a major crime scene as investigators, police officers, forensic teams and other authorities entered the area to locate graves, recover remains and establish what had happened to those who had disappeared. Families travelled to the region searching for answers about relatives whose whereabouts had remained unknown. As the investigation continued, more graves were uncovered and the scale of the tragedy becam...