Shakahola is an accident in our mad rush to self-destruction

Homicide detectives carrying some of the bodies that were exhumed from Shakahola forest in Kilifi County. [Marioon Kithi, Standard]

As the country comes to grips with the horrors of the cult killings and deaths at Shakahola associated with controversial pastor Paul Mackenzie, it's worthwhile looking at the many factors that brought us here.

As is customary in a country where politics takes the centre-stage, different formations have used the massacre to apportion blame to their rivals. However, the rot that brought us to this situation is perhaps deeper than the cosmetics that is our politics. In any case, this being a religious matter, it is naive to imagine that our politicians could have managed or prevented it.