Autopsy on 112 bodies completed, detectives to start fresh exhumations

Speaking on the final day of the first phase of the autopsy exercise before they go back to the forest to retrieve more bodies, the pathologist said 13 families turned up for DNA samples.

The samples will be matched against those harvested from the bodies at the Malindi Sub-County Hospital mortuary.

"Because of uniformity, the DNA samples were taken from each person," he said.

The 112 bodies were exhumed from the farm some 78km from Malindi town. Authorities say the farm belongs to preacher Paul Makenzi.

Dr Oduor said pathologists and detectives carried out 12 post-mortems on Friday.

The 12 bodies were seven women and four men. Dr. Oduor said they could not determine the sex of one due to the level of decomposition.

"One person had died in hospital and from the hospital report, the person had gone there with severe dehydration and malnutrition because of not feeding, leading to kidney failure that could have led to their death," he said.

Dr Oduor said four of the victims had died of head injuries although three had chronic illnesses such as anaemia. Two had features of starvation. The team was unable to determine the cause of death for two victims.

Dr Oduor said the focus will now be directed on phase two of the exhumation exercise in Shakahola forest and that detectives and pathologists will start identifying more graves in readiness for the exercise.

"We intend to commence the process of exhumations. A team will be going there tomorrow to look at the grounds to determine whether it is ready for the second phase of exhumations before more autopsies are done," he said.

Kinyanjui Thuo from the Kenya National Commission on Human Rights (KNHCR) said the exercise had been conducted professionally and above board, thus dispelling concerns that the government was carrying out the autopsies in an opaque manner.

"We have been here for the last five days and we can confirm that the team did a commendable job. They exceeded expectations," Thuo said.

He confirmed that all the internal organs of the bodies whose post-mortems were done are intact.

"The commission will give its comprehensive statement much later but I think it is important to commend the government agencies that are working under very difficult situations but who have also been able to do everything professionally," he said.