Eight children feared dead as cult probe intensifies in Kilifi’s Chakama compound

Eight children are feared dead even as investigators continue to unravel the alleged cult activities at a compound in Chakama, Kilifi county.

Police and families have now identified one of the bodies found at the scene, connecting the case to a disappearance case reported in Busia County.

Paul Otieno revealed that the deceased was his brother, Samwel Owino Okello Owuoyo, who originally hailed from Ndhiwa in Homa Bay County but had been living in Busia with his family.

Okello reportedly vanished along with his two sons during the school mid-term break this month.

“He disappeared from home with his two sons and left behind two daughters. He lied to his wife that he was going to work in Ndhiwa,” Otieno said as quoted by the Daily Nation.

In a related development, a couple who had been reported missing in Siaya County along with their six children was rescued at the same Chakama homestead.

The children remain unaccounted for and are feared dead. The disappearances of Okello’s family and the Siaya family have sparked a wider probe into the activities of the suspected cult.

After receiving information from his sister-in-law, Otieno travelled to Malindi to confirm his brother’s death.

“I went and confirmed that it was him. We want to know how he ended up in Malindi because everything is a mystery to me,” he said.

A Malindi court has now authorised the Directorate of Criminal Investigations to conduct exhumations at the homestead to determine if more bodies are buried there.

Kilifi County Criminal Investigation Officer Robert Kiinge said the exercise requires careful planning and a diverse team, which may take about two weeks to prepare.

“The exercise requires a set of different people, and we might take about two weeks to plan ourselves. Our court order has an expiry date, and so we want to ensure we begin work before the deadline,” Kiinge said.

During a recent site inspection, forensic experts identified four locations suspected to be shallow graves.

The police suspect there could be more buried bodies, and residents have been urged to report any suspicious sites.

Four vulnerable individuals rescued from the homestead have since been discharged from Malindi Sub-County Hospital and are currently in police custody.