Carolyne Odour has told the BBC she desperately fears for fate of her two young sons who went missing two months ago with their father - a follower of the teachings of a notorious starvation cult leader. Ms Odour says that amid an ongoing investigation into more deaths linked to the cult, she has identified her husband's body at a mortuary in the coastal town of Malindi.
His corpse was found in July in the village of Kwa Binzaro, inland from Malindi and near the remote Shakahola Forest, where more than 400 bodies were discovered in 2023 in one of the worst cases of cult-related mass deaths. Ms Odour is now awaiting the results of DNA tests being conducted on over 30 recently unearthed bodies.
I felt pain. I barely recognised him. His body was badly decomposing, Ms Odour, 40, said about her husband Samuel Owino Owoyo. She believes her sons, 12-year-old Daniel and nine-year-old Elijah, traveled with their father to Kwa Binzaro at the end of June.
Self-proclaimed pastor Paul Mackenzie is currently on trial for his alleged role in the so-called Shakahola Forest Massacre and has pleaded not guilty to manslaughter. He is accused of instructing his followers that they would reach heaven more quickly by not eating, with concerns arising about whether he has maintained communication with his followers from jail.
Ms Odour recounts her husband's ideological shift as he became increasingly influenced by Mackenzie’s teachings, rejecting formal education and medical intervention for their children. Following her husband's disappearance with her sons, she experienced deepening suspicion and, despite her efforts to locate them, faced the heartbreak of identifying her husband’s remains.
The ongoing investigation has revealed more shocking details about the cult’s practices, with many victims allegedly strangled if they did not succumb to starvation quickly enough. A government official stated intentions to strengthen regulations against religious extremism to prevent such tragedies in the future, reflecting on the chaos and fear generated within the community.
For residents of the area, this investigation has disrupted their livelihoods as they rely on the forest for basic resources. Meanwhile, Ms Odour continues her agonizing wait, expressing her sorrow for her missing children and the pain she feels each time she sees children their age.
His corpse was found in July in the village of Kwa Binzaro, inland from Malindi and near the remote Shakahola Forest, where more than 400 bodies were discovered in 2023 in one of the worst cases of cult-related mass deaths. Ms Odour is now awaiting the results of DNA tests being conducted on over 30 recently unearthed bodies.
I felt pain. I barely recognised him. His body was badly decomposing, Ms Odour, 40, said about her husband Samuel Owino Owoyo. She believes her sons, 12-year-old Daniel and nine-year-old Elijah, traveled with their father to Kwa Binzaro at the end of June.
Self-proclaimed pastor Paul Mackenzie is currently on trial for his alleged role in the so-called Shakahola Forest Massacre and has pleaded not guilty to manslaughter. He is accused of instructing his followers that they would reach heaven more quickly by not eating, with concerns arising about whether he has maintained communication with his followers from jail.
Ms Odour recounts her husband's ideological shift as he became increasingly influenced by Mackenzie’s teachings, rejecting formal education and medical intervention for their children. Following her husband's disappearance with her sons, she experienced deepening suspicion and, despite her efforts to locate them, faced the heartbreak of identifying her husband’s remains.
The ongoing investigation has revealed more shocking details about the cult’s practices, with many victims allegedly strangled if they did not succumb to starvation quickly enough. A government official stated intentions to strengthen regulations against religious extremism to prevent such tragedies in the future, reflecting on the chaos and fear generated within the community.
For residents of the area, this investigation has disrupted their livelihoods as they rely on the forest for basic resources. Meanwhile, Ms Odour continues her agonizing wait, expressing her sorrow for her missing children and the pain she feels each time she sees children their age.
