Autopsy report: Some Shakahola victims were murdered

By Peter Ochieng

A section of people who died in the Shakahola massacre were murdered.

This is according to an autopsy report as a result of a post-moterm conducted by chief government pathologist, Dr. Johansen Oduor.

Oduor in an address to the press said four of the 30 bodies showed signs of murder.

He said the victims may have been strangled, smothered or hit with a blunt object.

"Eight of them were male and 22 were female. We did autopsies of 15 adults and 9 children. There were six persons who we weren't able to determine for certain whether they were adults or not because of the level of decomposition," said Oduor.

"We could clearly see rope marks on the neck of one of them. We have also recorded some broken bones in the neck. We are sure that this person, a child, was strangled to death," he added.

The exercise continues alongside the collection of DNA samples from members of families of missing persons.

Most of the victims died after taking a 'fast to death' called by Good News International church leader Paul Mackenzie, in order to meet Jesus.

Over 100 bodies believed to be those of Mackenzie's supporters have been exhumed in shallow graves in Shakahola forest.

Mackenzie remains in police custody.