Shakahola survivor arrested in new cult death probe

5 bodies have been exhumed at the kwa binzaro area in Kilifi county. Exercise continues tomorrow.[ Marion Kithi, Standard]

A mother once hailed for rescuing her five children from Paul Makenzi's deadly cult in Shakahola has now been arrested in connection with a new cult under investigation, known as Kwa Binzaro.

Salama Masha, 31, who defied Makenzi's starvation orders in 2023 and escaped the Shakahola forest, is now being detained at Malindi Police Station as authorities probe the Kwa Binzaro cult, which has claimed over 34 lives through forced fasting.

Her husband, Kahindi Garama, Makenzi's former aide, disappeared in 2023 during the Shakahola raid and was presumed dead. However, in a shocking turn of events, he resurfaced at Kwa Binzaro, prompting police to arrest both him and Masha.

Appearing in court on Friday, prosecutors told the Malindi High Court that Garama escaped the Shakahola operation and went into hiding before regrouping with other cult members. They allegedly revived their extreme doctrines, leading to more deaths.

"He and others were previously mentioned in the Shakahola investigation. We now intend to conduct an identification parade," said Jamie Yamina, Deputy Director of Public Prosecutions.

Masha gained national attention in 2023 when she defied Makenzi's order to starve her family to death in the forest. At the time, she strapped her one-year-old daughter on her back and escaped with her four other children, aged two to eight, who were on their third day of a dry fast.

The family had lived in Shakahola since 2021, following her husband's deep involvement with Makenzi's Good News International Church. "My husband was very close to Makenzi. When my children became too weak, I knew I had to act. So we escaped," Masha said at the time.

After fleeing, Masha settled in Chakama, near Shakahola, and worked manual jobs to survive while her children were placed in a Malindi children's home. She had occasionally visited them.

But following Garama's reappearance and the Kwa Binzaro deaths, police launched a deeper investigation. Yamina told the court that Garama posed a risk of regrouping with cult members and misleading more followers if released.

An affidavit presented by detectives detailed a search conducted on September 2, at Garama's rented house in Malindi. Officers found 15 SIM cards from different service providers, several flash drives, and a national ID belonging to one of the victims. They also recovered a land purchase agreement linked to suspected cult leader Sharleen Temba Anido and a soil-stained jembe believed to have been used in burials.

Additionally, documents showed Garama's ownership of a motorcycle suspected to have been used to transport victims to Kwa Binzaro for fasting.

Authorities have now expanded the initial search area from five to 400 acres after discovering more mass graves beyond the original plot. Excavation is set to resume after autopsies at Malindi Sub-County Hospital mortuary are complete.