Security agencies in Kilifi County have rescued four members of one family and uncovered suspected human remains at a five-acre farm in Binzaro Village, Chakama Location, Langobaya Division, in what investigators describe as a suspected case of religious radicalisation. The operation followed a public tip-off and was confirmed on Tuesday, July 22, 2025.
Officers drawn from security and intelligence units raided the secluded homestead and found a 50-year-old man who had been reported missing at Siaya Police Station on April 15, 2025. He was located alongside his 40-year-old wife, another 40-year-old woman, and a 19-year-old female relative. The group had reportedly been living at the property for about two months after disappearing from their Siaya County home, more than 800 kilometres away.
Preliminary assessments by investigators suggest the group may have been held under the influence of radical teachings. A wider sweep of nearby thickets led to the discovery of two human skulls and the freshly deceased body of an unidentified adult male. The remains were moved to the Malindi Sub-County Hospital Mortuary for preservation, identification, and forensic examination.
Authorities arrested a prime suspect believed to be at the centre of the alleged radicalisation activities, along with three individuals said to have been managing day-to-day operations at the farm. Three additional people were detained in connection with the sale of the property amid questions over the legality and transparency of the transaction.
The find has revived painful memories of the Shakahola Forest tragedy, only a few kilometres away, where more than 400 victims linked to a starvation cult were exhumed beginning in 2023. That earlier case is before the courts; cult leader Paul Nthenge Mackenzie of the Good News International Church and dozens of co-accused face charges including radicalisation, engaging in criminal activity, and offences under the Prevention of Terrorism Act.
The Directorate of Criminal Investigations (DCI) in Malindi has secured protective custody orders for the rescued individuals and is seeking warrants to conduct a full forensic search of the property. Crime Scene Investigation officers have sealed and documented the site, and multi-agency teams plan an exhaustive combing of the grounds for any additional remains.
Investigators are also reviewing land records to establish how the parcel changed hands and whether fraud or coercion was involved. Community leaders have urged residents to report prayer camps and disappearances, saying vigilance could prevent a repeat of Shakahola. Updates are expected as searches progress.
