Seven bodies were unearthed from three graves in Shakahola, Kilifi County, raising the death toll to 436 in the ongoing efforts to address past violence. This latest phase of exhumation, known as phase five, saw the bodies retrieved from the Shakahola Forest on Monday.
Government pathologist Johansen Oduor disclosed that approximately 50 graves have been identified for excavation as part of the ongoing process. The exhumation was initiated following a call from the Kenya National Commission on Human Rights (KNCHR) two months ago, urging Interior Cabinet Secretary Kithure Kindiki to resume the pending exhumation of bodies in Shakahola.
The KNCHR, in its report titled “Mashaka ya Shakahola,” not only advocated for the continuation of the exhumation process but also recommended that the bodies be released to their respective next of kin for proper burial.
The current phase of exhumation builds upon previous efforts between April 25, 2023, and October 2023, during which a comprehensive search and rescue operation was conducted alongside the recovery of bodies from multiple mass graves. By the conclusion of this operation, a total of 429 bodies had been exhumed, with 67 adults and 25 children rescued from dire circumstances.
